Although June 30 will forever be the date I lost my brother to alcoholism, July 1st will forever be the date I woke up in a drunk stupor in an Orange County jail & decided it was time to reclaim my life. There is something very symbolic about the anniversary of my brother’s death being forever linked to my sober anniversary. His death helped spawn my rebirth. I used to dread this time rolling around every year because it usually sent me into a severe depression spiral, but now it brings me a sense of relief and accomplishment because I know I will never suffer the same fate he and my parents did. Now that I am here, there is no turning back. Only to the future, will I look forward to. And that is definitely something to smile about. #4years #sober #july1 #onedayatatime 📸: Gia Azevedo @curated__media