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.
- 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.
- Believe there are bottoms beneath the bottom I never thought I hit.
- Don’t answer if FRED knocks. Who’s Fred?
Fear
Resentment
Ego
Deceit
- My drinking never made one worthwhile contribution to my life.
- If drinking doesn’t bring you to your knees, sobriety will.
- I don’t have to be right! But I can be kind – and useful.
- I will keep that which I freely give, and which was freely given me.
- 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
