Joshua Sherman Productions Benjamin Lerner Hazy clouds drifted through the gray winter sky as I yawned, stretched and rose from my bed. I was two years sober, and I had just woken up from a restful night’s sleep. As I began my daily preparations, I watched in silent awe as a solitary ray of sunlight poked through the clouds and illuminated a row of snowcapped trees on a rocky hillside. Staring at the expanding beam of light, I found myself contemplating its symbolic significance in relation to my life’s trajectory. Although my mind had initially been clouded with doubts regarding my ability to adjust to the challenges of life in southern Vermont, the proverbial horizon of my mental sky was becoming clearer with every passing day. As the sun began to stream in through my windows, I felt an exhilarating rush of optimistic clarity. I was basking in the warmth of fulfillment and self-actualization, and I was grateful to be alive in recovery.