Category Archives: Uncategorized

My Last Drunken New Year: Cheers to Sobriety

Posted on January 1, 2025 by minndixiemom

On December 31, 2001, I was still struggling with alcohol misuse. I’d been concerned about my drinking for a while, and had even explored treatment at a local facility. I wasn’t ready, though, and convinced myself, and my husband, that … Continue reading →

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Reflections in Recovery: Thoughts on Matthew Perry’s Autobiography, his Death, and the Drug Ketamine

Posted on January 2, 2024 by minndixiemom

Matthew Perry’s memoir hit me hard. The stretches of sobriety, heartbreaking relapses, and deeply-rooted resentments. Sure, there were moments of levity, laughter, and hope, fueled by Perry’s sheer determination to keep fighting, but there was an eerie sense of foreshadowing … Continue reading →

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A Letter to my Mom

Posted on August 28, 2023 by minndixiemom

Dear Mom, We lost you three years ago, today. It’s an anniversary I recognize, but don’t celebrate. When you took your last breath, I lost a few of mine. You hadn’t been feeling well. I knew that day was coming. … Continue reading →

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“I Win!” Words of Wisdom from my Grissom Grad

Posted on June 19, 2023 by minndixiemom

She smiled big as she sashayed across the stage, stopping for that long-awaited photo opp, one hand shaking the principal’s, the other gripping her high school diploma. It had been a long journey, but she was finally here, at the … Continue reading →

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Why I Failed Dry January

Posted on January 24, 2023 by minndixiemom

Long before it was a thing, I gave Dry January my best shot. Almost every New Year, I resolved to quit drinking. Maybe not for an entire month, but almost a month. Or a couple of weeks. I fell short, … Continue reading →

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Den Siste Hilsen (The Final Farewell)

Posted on July 13, 2022 by minndixiemom

It’s strange, preparing to say goodbye to someone who died nearly two years earlier. You’ve already cried. You’ve grieved. You’ve come to terms with your loss. Yet there we were, on June 28, 2022, scrunched into row 39 on a … Continue reading →

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Reflections in Recovery: 20 Years Sober

Posted on May 5, 2022 by minndixiemom

Today, June 21, 2022, I celebrate 20 years of sobriety. I’m grateful. And deeply reflective. In recovery, we’re not supposed to “regret the past, nor shut the door on it.” It seems I had done a bit of both. I … Continue reading →

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Three of the Best Bosses I’ve Ever Had

Posted on February 22, 2022 by minndixiemom

“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” Maya Angelou ******************************************** I’ve had many jobs and even more bosses. My first gig was at … Continue reading →

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My 3-pound universe: Irony, denial and addiction

Posted on September 20, 2021 by minndixiemom

In my early 20s, I went out with a nice guy. Over dinner, he shared that he was on Zoloft for depression. I recoiled. For starters, that’s not first-date material. Secondly, I was rife with judgment. I didn’t want to … Continue reading →

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Generous even in death, Jim Pickett gave the gift of life to five strangers

Posted on July 16, 2018 by minndixiemom

In loving memory of James Michael Pickett, November 7, 1964 – July 1, 2018 Jim Pickett was passionate, kind, entrepreneurial, loyal, and spirited. He enjoyed good friends, great food, and lively conversation. But more than anything, he loved my sister, … Continue reading →

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