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.
Todays reading is about the variety of people we meet through al-anon. The writer describes the power of hearing people of all backgrounds- married, single, divorced, young, old, of all ethnic backgrounds, from those in poverty to the extremely wealthy- all speak from the heart, and the effect is a level playing field. Everyone who walks in and takes a chair has a common purpose. Beyond tolerance of those who we may be different from, we seek their wisdom because of different perspectives they may offer. This comfort around others extended to the writers life outside of Al-anon rooms. He/she learned to get past the nervousness of starting conversations just by asking a question or two to learn about someone else.
This reading brought me back to the very first meeting I stepped into. There were many people older than I was at that time. As some of them started speaking, I had the audacity to be relieved that their stories sounded so much more serious than mine! Then I kept listening. I started to hear others who were telling my story. It didnt matter if it came from someone who had a bunch more money than I did, or had been married three times, or was a man who never had children, or a woman whose husband had been in and out of substance abuse facilities. They were all me and I was them. The comfort of knowing we were all there for the same reason started to push forward and I could hear more clearly that it wasnt about all of the particular details of ones life, but rather all of us saying we need help.
The Thought for the Day gives us: Al-Anon meetings help me become open to people who are different from me.
Mary, thanks for sharing this great page and solid ESH.
I learned so many great lessons in the rooms of ALanon from people I would not normally associate with. It is a lesson that I continue to benefit from as I see interaction with every person as an opportunity to learn something valuable about my journey of recovery, about myself, and insight into how better to integrate my worldview within and around others.
I learned because of, not despite...so grateful I kept coming back
__________________
Paul
"...when we try to control others, we lose the ability to manage our own lives." - Paths to Recovery
