Dear GYE,
It's funny how Hashem works.
Years ago when I first became Bar Mitzva, I would wear a Gartel.
As time went on I decided, "What do I need this for? So what if it's our Minhag, it means absolutely nothing to me!" ...as did a lot of other things.
Now, by the grace of Hashem, I'm in SA and have almost 4 month of sobriety, one day at a time. I'm seeing miracles daily, and feel, for the first time in my life, Hashem's presence.
In the last few weeks, I was contemplating wearing my Gartel again, not to show off or because it's my Minhag, as in the past, but as a personal thing for Hashem.
Now, after reading Friday's Chizuk email, about the Bigdei Kehunah and them being a kaporah for Arayus, I had this moment of: "Of course, my goodness, here I am thinking about whether I should start wearing a Gartel again, and it's right in front of me! I'll start wearing it again to remind me of the Kedusha of my Neshoma and as a personal reminder of where I am, where I used to be, and where I can be".
Thanks, this place is awesome.