Lethal Disease

My sponsor called last night. We are making plans for her visit next weekend. I am so excited. While we were talking, she told me that our friend Skip died. They don't know yet what the cause of death was, but he had been drinking for about the last year. I just went back and read what I wrote about him last year when I found out he was drinking. It is chilling. God Bless Him. God Bless us all. All the expensive cars, nice houses, young girl/boyfriends, all the trappings of success cannot keep us alive. It is only God and the program of Alcoholics Anonymous.

That said - I had a marvelous day yesterday. Started with a meeting, then a couple hour nap, and my daughter came over after her NA meeting. We went shopping and I cut and colored her hair! That is not my forte, I pay to have mine done, but there was a time I did my own, and I guess I haven't forgotten. It was a wonderful mother/daughter day. And when mother and daughter are both clean and sober, there is a very special bond. Incredible. I am so grateful.

What a precious gift sobriety is. All it takes is a little bit of care and feeding, and in return we are granted a life beyond our wildest dreams. And all it takes is a bit of arrogance and defiance and we can lose it and our lives in a twinkling. My wish for myself and for all of us sober alcoholics is that we can keep our gratitude and humble awe at what God has wrought in our lives.

"The alcoholic at certain times has no effective mental defense against the first drink. Except in a few rare cases, neither he nor any other human being can provide such a defense. His defense must come from a Higher Power." -- Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 43