Unique and Priceless

"For, to these people, I am truly related. First, through mutual pain and despair, and later through mutual objectives and new-found faith and hope. And, as the years go by, working together, sharing our experiences with one another, and also sharing a mutual trust, understanding and love-without strings, without obligation-we acquire relationships that are unique and priceless."
Alcoholics Anonymous, 3rd edition, p. 312
Just like an alcoholic to feel BETTER after a funeral, huh? I went to Eddie's funeral this morning. It was terribly sad, but incredibly wonderful too. There were so many people there. Even the priest made a comment about the fellowship of AA and how many people were there. They also let us say the Lord's Prayer as a closing instead of the way it usually is. We all held hands and said "keep coming back" and then we all laughed - because it was so crazy to say that at a funeral.

There were so many people I hadn't seen in so long. Former lovers, many friends I had lost touch with, a couple of old sponsors, even my drunken former boyfriend you have all heard me talk so much about. We were all kids together. We were kids when we were already supposed to be grown ups, but we grew up together because we got sober together. Most of us there were around 20 to 25 years sober. Some older, some newer, some not even sober (like my former boyfriend).

Eddie touched a lot of lives. He never gave up on people. He never gave up on my former boyfriend - even though every one else has. There was another guy I sat with at lunch, he is from my new home group and he didn't know anyone else there. I asked him how he knew Eddie, and he told me that Eddie saved his life in the last year as he has been going through a divorce. Eddie was relentless. And he helped a lot of people. I am honored to have known and loved him.

If you are new to AA, please keep coming. The relationships you make in AA are unlike any others you have ever had. I kept thinking about the big book quote I put on here. "For to these people, I am TRULY related." I would have never chosen these people to be in my life, but God chose them for me, and they are infinitely better than anything I might have dreamed up for myself. Thank God for the fellowship of Alcoholics Anonymous.