[icandothis]

Hello Everyone, What a bizarre holiday season. About a week after the ice storm, we had a huge snow storm with frigid temperatures followed two days later by temperatures in the 50s! My mother-in-law never did recover. She passed away Saturday. I am physically exhausted and emotionally drained. Tomorrow is the visitation and Wednesday is the funeral. I haven’t gambled, but it has crossed my mind about a million times!

[icandothis]

Hello Mick, Welcome to GT! Best wishes to you in 2014 and the beginning of your new Gamble Free life!

[icandothis]

Sad, I am glad you are taking positive steps concerning your finances. Thanks for sharing and starting this thread. So like me to come up with ideas and then never follow through. Something I should work on!!!
Vera, I think if we have the money, then it is important to splurge every now and then. I think our goal is to have a healthy relationship with money. “Healthy Finances” I think many of us are guilty of spending tons and tons of money gambling and then denying ourselves in other areas of our lives. I think a good question to ask is “Is it WORTH the money spent?”, after, “Can we afford it?” lol My last gamble…$400 spent in 3 hours. Was it worth the money spent? New Year’s Eve I splurged on a dinner for my husband and I…worth every penny! I also think that if we become more aware of how we spend our money, we will find it says a lot about who we are, and that is a good thing. Like being generous with our money and taking others to the theatre. Before I started gambling, I would love to spend money on other people and give to different organizations where I believed in their cause. I would look at the checks and it really did say a lot about who I was, what I thought was important, and what I believed in. I know I can’t spend that kind of money again, who knows maybe some day I can, but I can look for ways to be more generous with what I do have and what I can give.
I think this thread will be very helpful. Thanks again, Sad!

[icandothis]

Hi Sam, I can’t think of anything better to do with one’s time than to help a neighbor! Don’t be hard on yourself because you lack motivation. Just because we aren’t active it doesn’t mean that nothing is going on. You are going through so much change right now…change on the inside. All big and lasting change begins from the inside. Don’t underestimate the progress you are making, We all know people who are extremely busy, running around doing, doing, doing! Shallow people who never take time out from doing to examine their actions, their lives or their character…thank God you are not one of these people. Your body will catch up with the huge changes that are taking place within you right now. Then you will act…right actions, deeper actions, actions that mean more than just doing, actions like hugging your neighbor. Keep working recovery. Everything else will fall in place. Just don’t be so hard on yourself. You are awesome!

[icandothis]

My New Year’s wish for you:
May God grant you,
12 months of Happiness,
52 weeks of Fun,
365 days of Success,
8760 hours of Good Health,
52,600 minutes of Good Fortune,
and 3,153,600 seconds of Gamble Free Joy!

[icandothis]

That was a great post, P. You make some good points for me to think about. Thanks for posting it. I wish you a Happy New Year, but I like what you said about living each day. So, I am also going to wish you a Happy New Day! I hope it’s a good one, P!

[icandothis]

Can relate to your story, Razzabelle. I have a friend whose father died of a heart attack in a casino. Also, my mom tripped and fell in the casino and broke her shoulder and was taken by ambulance to the hospital. In the same casino, my dad passed out. When he awoke, my mom had also passed out and was lying next to him. They were both taken to the hospital. Each in their own ambulance. After that, I am sure the casino employees were less than excited to see my parents walk into the casino! I also can relate to losing lots of money in a short period of time. What other activity can you spend that much money in such a short time???

[icandothis]

Good to have you back posting, Cat! Happy New Year!

[icandothis]

Congrats to all!

[icandothis]

We still have power! Many still do not. Carole, that is a great question. Yesterday, I wanted to gamble so bad. So snarly! I wanted my husband to offer to take me. He didn’t. There is always that let down after Christmas. We used to always take a vacation between Christmas and New Years. Since I was a teacher, this was the perfect time to do so. Before gambling was a problem, my husband would take me somewhere where I could gamble then he would join me and we would go to dinner and stay at a nice hotel. Gambling was a problem…we were both just in denial. Anyway, yesterday, I wanted him to suggest we go… he didn’t. I felt like I was going to explode if I didn’t gamble. He suggested something totally different. I wasn’t thrilled. I just wanted him to take me gambling. He wouldn’t do it. I hated that gambling could never work in our lives again. We ended up having a wonderful day doing something totally different. The need was a day off! Today there is relief. Relief without guilt, without loss…We have needs and that is ok…they need to be filled, but they just can’t be filled by gambling…challenging, but not impossible

[icandothis]

Hi Libbie, I think I am procrastinating about posting on my own thread, but I have been thinking about you lately and hoping you are enjoying the holiday season. I am guilty of staying away a long time and then posting like crazy hoping every one was here all along posting like crazy. I am finding that is not the case. It is so quiet around here. No perfection on this journey of mine, but I am learning to claim my journey for what it is…MINE! Hope to hear from you soon.

[icandothis]

I am so sorry you are feeling the way you are, Laura. I hope those sad thoughts don’t last too long and turn into better thoughts. I am not taking sides here, but I do think that this time of year is one of extreme highs (if we are lucky) but also extreme lows. Everything seems amplified. Our expectations are higher. I have been going through something very similar here at my house. Feeling that I am at the bottom of hubby’s list of priorities. Speaking of the devil. lol He wants to use my computer. I hope things sort themselves out Laura. Take care.

[icandothis]

Hi Sam, I couldn’t sleep tonight. I read through your thread. I just wanted to congratulate you on all your gamble free days and the progress you are making on your recovery. Little steps taken each day make a huge difference. I really need to try to get some sleep. I’ll say a quick prayer for you as well as for everyone here. Peace, faith, hope, one good decision, one positive thought, one positive emotion, one positive action…

[icandothis]

P, I hope things are getting better for you. P, I see in you someone who is changing for the better. I know you see it too. Even a glimmer is something to hold on to. Take care of yourself. Will be praying for you.

[icandothis]

Just wanted to thank you for all your support and wanted to wish you a very happy new year!

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