"We will comprehend the word serenity and we will know peace."

Initially, sobriety made me a nervous wreck. For about a year and a half life was difficult then things started to settle down. It just took time to adjust to living sober. I don’t remember the pink cloud stage but I am sure I had one. Everyone coming into the program seems to experience a pink cloud. Mostly it was a struggle. I would live one meeting to the next and cram the program material into my head. I started to experience some peace after I learned how to work the fifth step. It took me at least three attempts to get the fifth step working. I also remember a distinct sense of peace after I finished my final amend connected to events in my drinking days. I made that amend ten years after my last drink. Peace and serenity are important and I frequently experience those feelings during prayer and meditation. But out in the world those feelings are fleeting and not to be depended on for sobriety. Difficult challenges lie ahead for recovering alcoholics and we need to be prepared and not expect life to be a bowl of cherries. If our expectations are too high for enlightened sobriety we may be disappointed and not persevere for true happiness and long term sobriety.