Monday Morning

The birds are singing outside my window, it is nice and cool and quiet. I love the morning - almost as much as I love the mid-day, the afternoon, the evening, and the night! And I love Monday, I love going back to work to find out what people did over the weekend. The person who got the job I wanted (and planned on and dreamed about) also got the office next to mine. Well, I hate to tell you this, but getting to be her neighbor and know her better over the last 6 months or so has been wonderful. It has made my job so much more enjoyable. I like my job right now better than I have in YEARS and she has a lot to do with that.

Yesterday I ran 10 miles. I did it! Which means I can run a half marathon in Anchorage on June 21. Oh, I cannot begin to tell you how much that means to me.

When I was done with my run, I got a call from the man I have been dating on and off for nearly 2 years, who wanted to see if we could have a cup of coffee. We sat outside and had a lovely cup of iced something or other at Starbucks - it probably had all the calories I had just burned off in 10 miles. I am not going to say more than this about that. Well, except it was a beautiful Sunday afternoon and the sun shone brilliantly on his silver curls. (I love longer hair on men, if it is beautiful like his).

I came home and rapidly assembled another mixed berry pie. It seems Mr. Mack had seen my blog earlier and the picture of the pie, so I felt like I just HAD to make another one. Oh, it was so good.

And what was even better was seeing my old friend. And other old friends. And meeting his sister, who I have never met before. And meeting his niece and other relatives. And being able to talk to his niece about her dad and step-mother who I knew a long time ago in our beautiful fellowship of Alcoholics Anonymous. It was also nice to be with quite a few people who have been sober a lot longer than I have. Oh, what a wonderful feeling that is! And to get to share with folks who are sober not so long - oh, yeah, newcomers - 8 or 9 years...

I came home from there and was so emotional, I just cried. With gratitude. With love. With happiness. With a profound feeling of belonging.

These are the fruits of being part of this beautiful fellowship for years. It is incredible.

When I think back on the first time I ever remember Tim - I was playing pinball (younger folks, ask your parents what that is) at the AA club, I had just won a game and as I left the little room full of machines, a grumpy man said to me "you won THAT game???" I didn't particularly like this guy. I don't think he particularly liked me. But over the years we became very close. He is one person I have no doubt saved my life. I don't say that about other people. I credit Alcoholics Anonymous collectively with saving my life, but not a sponsor, or a person. But in this case, I know that Tim saved my life. I was sober about 5 years and more insane than I had ever been - drunk or sober - and he gently took me by the hand and took me through the 12 steps the way his sponsor had taken him. I had "worked" the steps before, but I had never had the experience of letting the steps work me - letting God do his work. I am forever grateful to him (and Him) for this. And I have passed it on - a lot.

Taking women through the big book. Reading the black on the white. Between the capital letters and the periods. And doing what it says.

What a miracle this is!!!

Thank you!!!!!