Putting My Name On It
Both of my kids woke this morning with 102-degree fevers. Two days before school starts. I had been planning to do my favorite Peloton ride of the week, Ally Love's Feel Good Ride at 8:30, but I missed it because we were at Urgent Care swabbing for strep and checking goopy ears and little lungs.I almost skipped it. Almost descended fully into mom-martyr mode - which, now that I think on it for a moment, is basically a pity party for one and helps none. As Martyr Mom, I use the excuse of my kids being sick to throw on some sweats, throw open my pantry door and ingest any comfort food I can get my Purelled hands on. Because surely junk food will help me get my kids through their viral slog-du-jour. [SPOILER ALERT: junk food is not the answer to helping sick kids. Nor is booze. Keeping myself healthy and energized is the best thing I can do for my kids when they're sick. Not rocket science. But not always gut instinct either.]By mid-day my kids were calmly vegging in front of "Cake Wars" and so - Martyr Mom be damned - I seized the moment and hopped on my bike to do the Feel Good Ride on demand. And am I ever glad I did.Ally never fails to inspire me. And I'm not saying that to be a goody-goody. There is something about sweating my (figurative) balls off and pedaling my legs until they burn that readies my mind and my heart to receive inspiration and wisdom. And Ally provides these in spades, especially on her Feel Good Rides. Today, she talked about being real. Not worrying about the leaderboard. Not hiding behind your username. Just being real.So I'll be real: Ally, I confess I was tapping away on my phone during your ride today. But I wasn't texting or Instagramming. I was writing the notes that have formed this post.Because I did stop hiding behind a username today. I put my last name on my @maintaining_mama Instagram account. (Once on a roll, I also got myself a domain name and created a Facebook page for this blog. Follow me! Share me!) I am no longer anonymous. I am fully out there as "a former wine mom" who has committed to one year without wine. What a way to toast Day 60!I made these changes before the ride, but I didn't realize the importance of my actions until Ally's words crystallized it for me. With sweat dripping down my face and my butt begging to be plopped back down into the saddle it hit me like a full turn to the right: "my desire to help outweighs my fear of being known."That's what I hastily typed into my phone. Let me expand upon that a bit now that I've caught my breath.I have apparently arrived at the point in this journey where my desire to support and inspire others who may be in a situation similar to mine - that is, questioning their possibly dysfunctional relationship with alcohol - is stronger than my fear of going public with my own struggles. Am I still afraid of being judged? Yes. Am I going to shout "I USED TO BE SCARY DEPENDENT ON WINE, Y'ALL!" from the rooftops? No. (Mine's too steeply pitched anyway.) But I want to help more than I want to hide.What has spurred me into action? So much that I can and cannot put into words. The recent study published in the Lancet medical journal stating that "the safest level of drinking is none" - and the myriad strong reactions to it, both celebrating and poo-pooing the findings. The incredible women I've discovered on Instagram who are fierce and fearless and eloquent in their sobriety. The books and podcasts and blogs (see my resources page).And time. It's September now. I have been on this journey for nine months, drinking for some of it but mostly not. Today is day 60 of my year-long commitment. And I am simply ready to kick this existence up a notch.But mostly, I really, really want to help other moms who are feeling shame or feeling like alcohol has the reins. Women who feel powerless to just say no to a witching hour craving. Because we all deserve better and we are all capable of better. And I'm no longer afraid to say so and put my name to my words.