Went to a meeting where a local guy shared that someone he knew from way back, (and had always spoken to fairly regularly), relapsed after 14 years and was dead within a week.
I didn't get the chance to find out if it's somebody I know, but I suspect it isn't, but you never know. It was a very sobering indictment of the importance of remaining vigilant / fit spiritual condition, and continuing to be willing to go to any lengths in order to face up to one's weaknesses and destructive habitual tendencies on a daily basis. It was very sad.
Another lady in the meeting discovered she had a serious cancer diagnosis in the previous week, which brings up to 3 the number of people who I have recently run into, who are undergoing tests of some sort for various cancer scares.
Nobody said life ever stopped happening when you get sober. It absolutely doesn't. None of us know what is round the corner.
I was very moved by the opportunity to be in the presence of people with real problems, and it felt precious having the opportunity to sit in a room with people who feel they have the permission to talk about these things freely, and share their burden.
I feel sorry for people who say they don't want to go to AA meetings anymore. I love going to them, and I love the opportunities for service that they provide. Each meeting shows me something about myself and about my attitudes to my fellow man, and allows me to stop and consider how I am responding to people places and things, and that insight is invaluable. I love being part of the tide of humanity.
It doesn't matter how long I've been around. I'm always touched and moved by being part of a group of alcoholics doing their lousy best to get well.
About Me
- An Irish Friend of Bill
- I have recovered from the disease of Alcoholism. I believe there is only one person really,.. everybody. And that peace of mind is everything. -So treat your neighbor as you would treat yourself, because your neighbor IS yourself. I think most of recovery is what I would call common sense, but that learning to be ordinary is a true gift very few people acquire. My ambition is to accept everything unflinchingly, with compassion, and therefore be intrinsically comfortable in my own skin, no matter what. I am comfortable being uncomfortable and am willing to go to any lengths to improve my life. I believe the Big Book was divinely inspired, and is extraordinarily powerful. Unfortunately AA's best kept secret a lot of the time. (In my opinion). I just try to do what works, no matter what it is.
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4 comments:
I'm glad that you wrote about this. I've heard from a few people lately that they have "outgrown" Al-Anon. I wonder about that. I like going to meetings and hearing the solutions that accompany the problems. Meetings help me to heal.
I like meetings aswell, unless I am grumpy, although I am loving making friends in other outside groups. I miss all the London meetings yet know it's my time at the moment to explore outside relations aswell.
I don't want to ever think I don't need meetings. It's an insult to the first 100 members I think!! To get well and turn away entirely.
Would be like forgetting the person who donated an organ and the surgeons and crew that saved my life, i hope it never happens.
Each to their own but you have my permission to kick my ass if i every become ungrateful or turn away entirely.
I always want to remain grateful, what I have is very precious, no matter how dark it sometimes appears. The dark bits help me appreciate the light more :)
So important to see how others deal with life moving on and life being life...after the year I've had it's so important for me to keep coming back and allowing me to be teachable by others in the room...so I know that we can move through life with grace and sobriety.
I like it when people stay in the solutions...
thank you for this post...
Gabi
What words... super, excellent idea
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