Celebrating an Anniversary With Strangers Who Know Me

Tonight I celebrated my anniversary with a roomful of strangers who know me. Any time AA’s get together, I hear practical wisdom – reminders, guidance, and points to ponder that can reset my emotional gauges.

  1. Remember the yets – all those illustrative sentences that describe behavior and consequences I haven’t experienced yet.

Fortunately, I haven’t lost my job – my family – my health – my mind – my freedom . . . yet.

  1. Believe there are bottoms beneath the bottom I never thought I hit.
  1. Don’t answer if FRED knocks. Who’s Fred?

            Fear

            Resentment

            Ego

            Deceit

  1. My drinking never made one worthwhile contribution to my life.
  1. If drinking doesn’t bring you to your knees, sobriety will.
  1. I don’t have to be right! But I can be kind – and useful.
  1. I will keep that which I freely give, and which was freely given me.
  1. Whatever the year is on my chip – I am still an alcoholic whose self-will is not restrained by a number. My recovery means not drinking today, saying my prayers, and getting to a meeting, because all I really have is this day.

Thank you God for the “Birthday” Meeting – for the fellowship with people whom I don’t know well, but whose struggles are similar to mine, and whose compassion, and wisdom is what I pray You will build in me.

Thank you for hearing so many – all say – they owe their sobriety, whether it was 37 years, or 1 year, to Your kind intervention, and the patience of members who never withdrew their hand of friendship from slippers.

Thank you God for the stories I heard tonight of folks who didn’t give up on seeking sobriety, when they had trouble putting the drink down.

Thank you for reading – hope you gleaned some constructive thoughts from what I heard. Feel free to add worthwhile wisdom you have heard in your recovery.

 

Love in Christ,

Sober and Grateful

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Celebrating an Anniversary With Strangers Who Know Me
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