Dear Reader,
This week, I turned 43.
My husband, my sister, and her fiancé took me to one of those old-fashioned dinner places. There was an emcee with a microphone.
Before the guy could even finish asking, “Is anyone celebrating a birthday?”
My tablemates pointed at me and shouted, “She is!” in perfect unison.
He was at our table instantly.
“What’s your name?”
Mic. In my face. No escape.
“Jody.”
“Everyone meet Jody—turning 21 today!” he joked.
The crowd laughed.
I laughed.
And then I looked at my table—at the people I love most.
They smirked as the crowd began singing "Happy Birthday to You."
Because they know something important.
I do not want to be 21 again.
Not even a little!
I’m good with 43.
Actually, I’m really good with it.
Because when I was 21…I was in it.
I didn’t yet have the education or language for what had happened to me growing up while coping with my mom’s alcohol addiction.
I didn’t understand the roles I’d taken on.
The codependency.
The chaos.
The invisible weight of being an adult child of an alcoholic—while still raising my sister.
Reader, life at 21 was really hard.
As I wrote my memoir (coming out in 2026!) and revisited those years, I honestly wondered how I made it through.
Times were gloomy.
My real turning point came about five years later. And even then?
There were setbacks.
Curveballs.
Gut punches.
But slowly—slowly—things changed.
By the time I was 34, I realized something big:
I was breathing…without coughing or gasping.
(If you know, you know.)
For most of my life, I hated my birthday.
And holidays.
And special days.
They weren’t celebrations. They were reminders.
Of disappointments.
Of what I wished had been different.
But this year?
This year, my friend, I enjoyed my birthday.
Not just the day—the whole weekend!
On this healing journey, it is so easy to overlook how far you’ve come, Reader.
Healing doesn’t usually arrive with fireworks or a big “ta-da” moment.
It shows up quietly.
In the years you keep learning.
The years you keep trying.
The years you don’t quit on yourself, even when progress feels slow.
And then one day, you look back and think:
Holy crap… look how far I’ve come!
Standing there in front of a room full of strangers, microphone in my face, I knew something:
43-year-old me was proud.
Not because life is perfect.
Not because nothing hurts anymore.
But because 43-year-old me is wise and free.
Free from the chaos running my nervous system.
Free from carrying responsibility that was never mine.
Free from hating special days because they reminded me of what I didn’t have.
That freedom didn’t happen overnight.
It happened year by year.
Choice by choice.
With setbacks, yes, but also with commitment.
So if you’re reading this and thinking,
“When will I ever feel healed?”
or
“This is getting hard,”
Good.
That means you’re doing the work.
Please don’t miss your own progress just because you’re still in motion.
One day, you’ll stand in a moment (maybe a quiet one, maybe a public one) and realize:
I’m not who I used to be.
And that is worth celebrating.
I'm rooting for you!
💛Jody
P.S. One more thing before you go.
The Empowered Path newsletter is almost one year old.
I want you to know how much your replies mean to me.
Your notes about where you are in your journey.
Your honesty.
Your courage.
Truly, thank you for being part of this path with me.
I know your life is full. Busy. Demanding.
The fact that you take time to read my emails means more than I can say.
And this still blows my mind:
More than half of you open every single email.
What???
That is the greatest compliment.
It tells me you’re here. And this work matters.
For the past six months, I’ve also been posting at least one YouTube video every week, picking up where I left off years ago when I was much earlier in my healing journey.
Showing up now with education, perspective, wrinkles, and lived experience feels different.
More grounded. More honest. More useful.
If you haven’t subscribed yet, I’d love for you to:
Subscribe
Subscribing tells YouTube that this topic matters and it helps these conversations reach more adult children of alcoholics who are quietly searching for answers.
Thank you for walking this path with me.
Resources and Recommendations
📘
Recommended Books for ACoA Healing
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Why Being "The Strong One" is Slowly Breaking You
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💡
Best Tools & Resources for Healing
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End the Year Feeling Lighter
If you want a gentle way to close out the year, see how far you’ve come, and prep for a great new year, my Year-End Healing Reflection Journal is here.
It walks you through the same process I use to release old patterns, get grounded, and step into the new year with intention without pressure.
Simple. Calming. And designed to help you end the year feeling lighter and clearer.
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👋 P.S. If you’re new here…
You’re receiving this email because you’re on a healing journey — learning how to build the peaceful, joyful life you deserve.
I’m Jody Lamb, a personal growth author who helps adult children of alcoholics break free from the past and create emotional freedom.
Every email is a mix of honest stories, practical tools, and encouragement to help you keep moving forward — one brave step at a time.
💛 I’m so glad you’re here. You’re not alone.
Visit my website for more healing resources:
www.jodylamb.com
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