Hello World!
Tough times don’t last, tough people do. – Robert Schuller
My name is Ciana ‘Ci’, and I am an alcoholic. I’ve struggled with addiction for most of my life. As a teenager I experimented with drugs and alcohol but was always able to stop using drugs without any significant withdrawals or impact. Alcohol on the other hand, was not so easy.
I’ve maintained sobriety in the past for long periods of time but always given in to ‘one drink’. For those of us suffering from addiction you know that one drink is too many, and one more is never enough. I wanted this time to be different, I needed this time to be different, because no matter how much I lied to myself and tried to lie to everyone else, I could see the effects in every aspect of my life.
So, I went to rehab! I started journaling as part of my daily routine in rehab. I kept thinking about something I heard there that really resonated with me. I watched a recording of Brene Brown who said, “One day you will tell your story of how you overcame what you went through, and it will be someone else’s survival guide.” I don’t know if this blog will become someone else’s survival guide or just my journal to reflect back on later, I will be stronger for it either way.
May you be sober and happy always! Ci
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One More Reason to Stay Sober
6.18.25 The positive is that I have two Fridays this week. Everyone seems to be in a better mood on Fridays—the energy is lighter, people are friendlier, and everything just feels a bit easier. But the part I don’t like? It’s kind of a tease. Thursday is a federal holiday, but I have to be
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Grace in Imperfection
6.17.25 I stepped outside my comfort zone tonight and chaired the women’s meeting — something I rarely do, greeting is my jam. With a hectic workday, I completely forgot until I got the reminder just two hours before the meeting. It happened to be an open discussion week, and I hadn’t come with a topic.
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Wings in the Wreckage
6.16.25 As a kid, I was obsessed with butterflies. I’d catch caterpillars and try to keep them long enough to watch them transform. I didn’t know then how much they needed to eat—I was probably starving them to death without realizing it. They always died. Still, I kept trying. It started with the bright, vivid
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Father’s Day
6.15.25 Growing up, I was blessed with two dads. My relationships with each of them are night and day, but I’ve come to love and appreciate them both for who they are. It hasn’t always been simple, and I have some daddy issues. I know I am loved, and I carry that with me. That’s