The material presented
here is not Al-Anon Conference Approved Literature. It is a method
to exchange
information, ideas, feelings, problems and solutions on a personal
level.
I celebrated 12 years in the program this weekend.
It's amazing how far I've come, and the love and support Al-Anon gives me is why I keep coming back.
During the weekend I was doing some re-organizing on my bookshelf. I keep my old journals on my bookshelf as I often refer back to them while I do step work. There was one journal on the shelf that I'd forgotten about, and it had an entry in it just before I started coming to Al-Anon, which was just after my situation with the alcoholic imploded. It was kind of sad reading how much pain I was in at the time. But, I was able to come back to the present and just feel such happiness that I'm no longer in that same place emotionally, all thanks to this program.
Al-Anon DOES change people. In my humble opinion, it certainly changed me for the better. Maybe I seem serene and chill now, but even here, if I dig waaaaaay back to my first posts here, I can certainly see the absolute insanity that was going on for me. That said, length in the program does not automatically equate infallibility. My old sick behaviors can rear their ugly heads at some of the most unexpected times. So I keep coming back. And I know life is NOT just a steady stream of predictable serene circumstances. I experienced this about six years ago when I went through layoffs at my old job. I felt like I'd been thrust back into a terrible, dysfunctional alcoholic relationship, so I was so grateful Al-Anon was there for me as I dug myself out of the mire. So I keep coming back.
Thank you everyone who's been along on the ride with me, and for your continued support and love.
Happy Al-Anon birthday, Aloha!!! Thank you for sharing your journey. I agree that people change -- for the better -- in Al-Anon. I see it every week in my face-to-face meetings, and I so appreciate the people here who come and support one another, and who seek support when needed. It is great when looking back can be a reminder of how far we have come.
Yay for you and your recovery journey Aloha!!! I am very grateful you are a part of my journey! Keep doing you and being you - looks fabulous on you...(((Hugs)))
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Practice the PAUSE...Pause before judging. Pause before assuming. Pause before accusing. Pause whenever you are about to react harshly and you will avoid doing and saying things you will later regret. ~~~~ Lori Deschene
Congrats on 12 Years ;) I Just Hit 11 Myself at the Beginning of the Month! It is a Wonderful Feeling to know that we have Choices we Never would have guessed we had since entering this program, and being surrounded by others that just want the same Peace & Serenity. What a blessing to find such a Place with such Loving Support! Love & Gratitude in all your Days to Come :)
Thank you for being a "positive" in my journey as well!
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"The wolf that thrives, is the one you feed." - Cherokee legend
"Hello, sun in my face. Hello you who made the morning and spread it over the fields... Watch, now, how I start the day in happiness, in kindness." Mary Oliver
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