Cumberland Heights Annual Women's Luncheon

As most of you know, last May I was fortunate enough to go to treatment for my alcoholism at Cumberland Heights in Nashville, TN. I absolutely LOVE going down there to visit the treatment center and to see some of the great friends that I made while in treatment. Every Spring Cumberland Heights hosts a women's luncheon with all proceeds going towards the women's program at the treatment center. This year the speaker was Joani Gammill so I was really excited to be able to go. I read her book "The Interventionist" and it was AWESOME. If you watch Dr. Phil at all, she is on there quite a bit doing interventions for addicts/alcoholics to help them get to treatment. Her own story as a recovering addict is amazing as well and her book chronicles her story as well as her work as an interventionist. It is SO good. I highly recommend reading it.

Anyway, so yesterday I drove down to Nashville (about 2.5 hours from me) and met up with my awesome friend Alison who I was in treatment with last year. We met at - where else - Starbucks and had coffee and chatted a bit before heading to the event. The luncheon was held at Hillwood Country Club in Nashville. We mingled, lunched, then listened to Joani speak. Of course she had her little dog Lucy with her. Lucy goes everywhere with her and is actually certified as a service dog as she helps her in the interventions. Awesome right? I really enjoyed her speaking and felt fortunate to be there. Last year at this time I can tell you that I would not have been excited to be going to a treatment center charity event. I was most likely extremely drunk last year at this time. If I wasn't drunk I was thinking about the next time I was going to be drunk. What a difference 11 months makes!

After the event we were all given a copy of her book for attending. She graciously sat in the lobby and signed everyone's books which was really neat. Lucy just sat up on the table as she signed. Here I am getting my book signed - see Lucy? HA Joani seems like a really cool person and definitely a strong one. I'm not sure that I could do her job.

After the event Alison and I did a little shopping then went to have dessert at a cute little cafe in Nashville. Such an awesome day and I am so grateful to be able to do such things with my time. I'm already looking forward to the next time I can go visit!