What have you got to celebrate?

[EclipseRedRing]

Like many people, I sometimes focus so much on my troubles that I fail to see my blessings. With that in mind, this is a thread to celebrate an anniversary of any positive change that you have made in your life; a place to say "I did this and thank goodness I did so". It can be anything you like, such as losing weight, starting a business, becoming a parent, getting married, joining the Military, emigrating, finding religion, or simply sorting your life out for the better.

Remember, this is a thread to celebrate a positive change that you have made in your life, not to try to make anyone else change theirs. Likewise this is not a place to pontificate, nor to offer advice or to seek any, other than to say consult an appropriate professional if you think you need one.

So, here is mine, today is six years since I chose to quit drinking alcohol, a habit that nearly cost me everything I value, including my life. Here is my celebratory shave with some of my favourite things:

Now, what have you got to celebrate?

 

[Dave himself]

Congratulations on your 6 years going dry .

 

[wes1953]

Congratulations on your achievement. I'm going on 24 years without alcohol and 27 years without tobacco. That's cause for a celebration every day.

 

[Multum in parvo]

Congratulations Richard!

Nothing serious with me but we packed Junior away for a Kiddie Birthday Party weekend

So today after some minor shopping we enjoyed a very peaceful Lunch at Zu den 3 Hacken/3 Axes:

Followed by some Afogato in a family owned (since 1906) ice cream saloon

and we will have Dinner at a fancy Japanese place - Nihonbashi

Naturally we are looking forward to pick him up on Sunday but until then

 

[BigJ]

CONGRATULATIONS!!

 

[gsurko]

I’ve developed a relationship with God.

 

[Star_Wahl_Clipper_Treker]

What have I got to celebrate?

How about a reduction in depression? Ever since I started doing DE shaves, my mood has improved.

 

[gpjoe]

We have a history of alcoholism in our family, on my mother's side. I drank as a young adult and though it disagreed with me, it never felt more than the "normal" use of alcohol, but I was so afraid of it turning to addiction after witnessing my mother's struggle (and later my younger sister) that I swore it off. I will occasionally take a single drink, like a few sips on New Year's Eve, but I'm pretty much alcohol free.

So, I guess in this context, I am grateful for what I HAVEN'T done, which has allowed me to succeed in other facets of my life. I am most grateful for my loving wife, a home, and comfortable, healthy retirement.

Congratulations to you. Well done.

 

[Balin]

Congratulations to all for battling their vices, celebrating birthdays and finding your paths!!

Feb 2021 I embarked on a self improvement journey. I dropped 100 lbs from Feb 2021 to Sept 2021 and have been able to keep it off, except for the Christmas 5lbs which is coming off now that spring is here and I can move more!

I am grateful for my family, friends and this community!

 

[gpjoe]

Congratulations to all for battling their vices, celebrating birthdays and finding your paths!!

Feb 2021 I embarked on a self improvement journey. I dropped 100 lbs from Feb 2021 to Sept 2021 and have been able to keep it off, except for the Christmas 5lbs which is coming off now that spring is here and I can move more!

I am grateful for my family, friends and this community!

Winter here is tough, not much to do and a lot of sitting around. Couple that with the pandemic and many of us are struggling with weight to some degree.

Congrats on your achievement, be well.

 

[rbscebu]

I celebrate my journey into straight razor shaving. I started on 12 December 2019 and have been SR shaving at least daily ever since. Without SR shaving, I would have gone crazy in the enforced 24/7 curfew I was under for over a year in the Philippines. I then escaped the Philippines about 11 months ago, first to Singapore and then later to Australia.

 

[Graydog]

Last Friday, March 18 was our 44th wedding anniversary.

 

[podz]

I am 20 months alcohol-free and 50 months tobacco-free.

 

[Phoenixkh]

This is trivial compared to the above posts.... Congrats to all of you....

We drive old Toyota Avalons (2002 and 2004). Our main car is the 2004. I've been struggling with it for a couple years now. It has had an intermittent battery drain going on for that whole time. It might have always had it but I retired 3 years ago now and don't drive it every day. I've had it into a very good vehicle repair place 3 times.... Being intermittent, of course, it never showed its ugly head.

I've been waiting for it to get bad enough that they'll be able to find it. This past month, the battery has been dead in a few days if we don't drive it. We took a 2.5 hour trip the weekend before last. It was dead the next morning. So I scheduled it for today.

Finally.. they found the culprit. The after market alarm system has a GPS locating system in it. That was causing the draw. We thought it might be something connected to the alarm system a couple years ago and I took out the fuse for what I thought was the complete alarm system but the GPS tracker was on a separate circuit.

Anyway, I didn't make the change but I wanted to talk about it to someone other than my wife.... and RedRing started this thread, hence the short story.

Now... along the lines of the actual thread: I changed my diet around the middle of January for lots of reasons, including weight loss. The weight loss will take a long time.... around 5 pounds a month, give or take. I had a rough March.. only lost 3 pounds, but I'm down 7 pounds so far this month and didn't make any modifications to get there. I should be where I want to be around this time next year @ the 5 pounds a month.

 

[sm29]

On April 3rd my younger daughter was married to a wonderful man. I couldn’t be happier for her.

Later this month will mark five years since my wife’s death. While not the life we planned for, my daughters and I have survived and found some measure of happiness. I am truly grateful for that as there is nothing we can do to bring my wife back, but we can still honor her beloved memory as we did at my daughter’s wedding.

 

[Phoenixkh]

On April 3rd my younger daughter was married to a wonderful man. I couldn’t be happier for her.

Later this month will mark five years since my wife’s death. While not the life we planned for, my daughters and I have survived and found some measure of happiness. I am truly grateful for that as there is nothing we can do to bring my wife back, but we can still honor her beloved memory as we did at my daughter’s wedding.

So sorry to hear about your wife's death. I wish words could actually comfort....

I'm glad you love your daughter's new husband. I'm sure you had so many mixed emotions at the wedding.... I wish you, your daughter and her new husband well.

 

[RobDCLE]

In 17 days my wife and I will be married 10 years. It was truly a life changing event.... but not as life changing as the kids that came after!!

 

[mrlandpirate]

I paid off my 2017 Toyota PU this month , no more car payment

 

[GreggoryD502]

Our son got accepted into the local pipefitters apprenticeship. My wife and I are really proud of him. He is in his senior year of high school now and is looking forward to learning a skilled trade.

 

[Star_Wahl_Clipper_Treker]

Our son got accepted into the local pipefitters apprenticeship. My wife and I are really proud of him. He is in his senior year of high school now and is looking forward to learning a skilled trade.

This is truly excellent to hear! I am very happy to hear that, and as a father, I am sure you are very proud of him! Now, just make sure he gets a good set of tools, and quality gear like good boots. I just ordered a pair of Thorogood Logger boots. My 10-year old Red Wings are crying for retirement, the souls tell the whole picture, the reaper wants them back.