From the Depths of My Soul

Today I am grateful for emails with other people in recovery. They are a lifeline for me. I am also grateful for laughter.

D is for depth today. I was struck by the range of definitions for this word.

*a deep place in a body of water
*a profound or intense state
*a reprehensibly low condition
*the worst part
*the quality of being deep
*the degree of intensity, the quality of being profound or full
*the quality or state of being complete or thorough

A deep place in a body of water. I avoid the depths of pools because I can't swim well.

A profound or intense state. The depth of my gratitude when I cross the finish line of a marathon.

A reprehensibly low condition. The depth of despair was waking up from a blackout, with a bad hangover, trying to fill the gaps in my memory.

The worst part. The depth of cancer treatment came 3-5 days after each chemo round.

The quality of being deep. I love the depth of conversation I can have with many people near and dear to me.

The degree of intensity, the quality of being profound or full. The depth of joy that I feel when I hear my son laugh or see his smile or give him a hug.

The quality or state of being complete or thorough. The depths of my heart and soul feel the grace that comes with each day of recovery and sobriety, the gifts that come with working on my faith.

Some of the depths my life has taken me to have been the lonely and rejected depths. But more of the depths on my life's journey have been of the exhilirating and inspiring variety. For that, I am truly grateful.