When I first got sober, I thought I had to become someone completely different—flawless, polished, the kind of person who meditates at sunrise and drinks green juice (okay, that part stuck). That unrealistic pressure almost kept me drunk for 34 years. I thought, “Why bother? I’m hopelessly flawed.” But sobriety didn’t make me perfect. It made me present. And presence? It’s raw, honest, and messy—but it’s also where the real healing begins. resent. And presence is messy.