My sponsor and her husband just left. We had such a wonderful weekend. Last night, we had dinner with a couple of their friends. Between 5 of us, there were 170 years of sobriety at that table, and I was the "baby," with almost 25 years. And that is the way I like it, thank you very much. These people never behave as if they have all the answers. They never lord their years over anyone. They never take a condescending attitude towards anyone. These are my role models in AA.
I do not aspire to be an AA know-it-all. I don't want to be an AA luminary. I want to be the person on the regular old phone list who people know they can call. That is all.
My daughter has been here most of the weekend and has gotten to spend time with these people... there have been lots of people through this house this weekend, and they are all sober. She has gotten to see a wonderful side of AA - one you might not really realize is there if you are going to meetings, but not getting plugged into the fellowship.
I am so grateful. I feel so blessed.
If you are new to AA, please avail yourself of the fellowship. If no one asks you to coffee, ask someone else, and be that miracle for someone else. The friendships we make in this program are the most incredible things. I am so so so so so grateful.
14 comments:
For some reason while reading your blog today I became totally relaxed, like serene--yeah, serene--because you write of true 'fellowship', friendship in supporting, caring, sharing, and loving relationships.
Isn't that the part of God which is within each of us? That "Image and Likeness"?
Thanks, Mary.
I'm with Steve. I can just picture you sitting there typing in a totally tranquil and serene state. I hope that feeling last for a long, long time.
Due to the fellowship of Alcoholics Anonymous I have met many people, from near and far. You are one of those.
I didn't go into my first Alanon meeting looking for friends but the people that I consider my true friends are those that have a program and live it. The people you spoke of are ones that I say have a certain "glow". I see them in open A.A. speaker meetings and at our conferences. They gave me hope when I didn't have any.
Namaste
I like what you said:
"If no one asks you out for coffee, ask someone else, and be that miracle..."
It sure beats feeling sorry for yourself, and seems to be the best way to find a fellowship!
Brad :-)
Thanks for sharing your weekend, Mary.
Happy Sunday to you Mary.
cooooool!
I feel blessed knowing you darlin' girl.
Sounds like a blissful weekend. I'm glad your daughter was there to experience that. I have found the key to happy daily living inside the fellowship; not so much around the edges.
In my last stages of drinking, I isolated almost completely. When I first went to meetings, being in a room & listening was all I could handle at first. I would leave right after meetings. That was okay at the time, because I started trusting the people in the rooms.
The true joy of living came when I was able to relax a bit more and spend time with fellow AA's outside the rooms.
Funny!...I just confronted the leader of our former church's AA group about the very same thing. To this day he calls me a hard-core bible thumper, though not in jest...sad...However,
I have thought about starting an AA group myself at our new church that we attend.
Instead of being "Alcoholics Anonymous", we'll call it "Apostates Anonymous"...for believers.
But unlike the former AA, ours will have a one step method...Repent!....hope you all enjoy the laugh!
The scenes you describe remind me of the wonderful times I've had in our fellowship. Frankly, I think that's the only thing that time gives us - some incredible memories that are worth a great deal.
I aspire to be with you on that regular AA phone list - nothing can be greater...
Hey Mary,
I'm mildly envious. I'm still young in the program (fifteen months Saturday!), but I have yet to cultivate many deep friendships in AA. I have acquaintences, but no real friends besides my sponsor. and that relationship is wonderful, but doesn't adhere to many of my old constructs of friendship.
thanks for writing.
Thanks MC. I know that I can count on the people in my Al-Anon group. I would like more opportunities for our groups to do fellowship stuff.
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