As the sun casts rays, and our days fill with the amazing energy of summer, it's a wonderful time to talk about sobriety. During the season of festivals, pool parties, and outdoor dinners, we need to go a bit further than just maintaining our sobriety. We need to celebrate it!

Summer brings a unique set of challenges for those of us in recovery. For many, it's a time of vacations, celebrations, and alcohol. Being an alcoholic applies year-round—summer included, a time filled with scenarios where I used to drink. Interestingly, since summer only rolls around once a year, this means I've only practiced staying sober in this season seven times so far. So I get to practice again in the coming months and wanted to share a bit about my experience with summer as an alcoholic.

This morning, our reading from "Living Sober" titled "Looking Out for Overelation" struck a chord with me. It reminded me that I'm still practicing not drinking when I'm happy, relaxed, celebrating, having fun. It's one thing to guard against drinking when we're stressed or upset, but equally important to maintain that vigilance during good times, too.

My summer drink has been replaced with slurpees and snow cones. I absolutely love them! And there are so many ways to celebrate without alcohol. Keep your favorite non-alcoholic beverages handy, surround yourself with supportive friends, and find fun in the new activities.

Listen to this episode for more on enjoying life's warmest days, sober and present.