Capped the bottle not my laugh

I’m still here.
I can still laugh, go out, stay up too late talking, make memories, and be part of life.

Just because I don’t drink anymore doesn’t mean I stopped wanting friendship. It doesn’t mean I became boring. It doesn’t mean I’m judging everyone around me.

I understand why people drink. For some people, it’s casual. For me, it wasn’t.
I used alcohol as a crutch through some of the darkest times in my life. I used it to numb myself. To disappear for a while. To not feel everything weighing on me.

Getting sober wasn’t easy. I fought hard for this version of myself. I’m proud of it.

But sobriety can get lonely when people assume you no longer want to be invited, included, or around. Truth is, I still want connection. I still want fun. I still want people.

Invite me out. Ask me to come along. Want me there.
Just don’t pressure me to drink. Don’t make jokes about my sobriety. Don’t treat my healing like it’s inconvenient.

I don’t need everyone to live the way I do. I just need the people around me to respect the life I fought to keep.

I’m still human.
I still need friendship.
And I still deserve a seat at the table.