Topic for the week:
A surprising ‘GIFT’ in sobriety.
I frequently introduce myself in f2f meetings as ‘I am Cheryl B, alcoholic who was given the gift of desperation on April 30th, 2013’.
When I first entered the rooms of AA I was desperate to learn how to live without needing to drink alcohol. I had come to that awful point in my life where I couldn’t live without drinking but I certainly wasn’t living in any true sense of the word. I was defeated, beaten down to the point I wanted to die, to end the pain. When I wasn’t successful at ending my life it was suggested I go to rehab. I was willing to do anything suggested to me that might help me learn how to live without alcohol.
Today, I only have to think about that period of my life, the desperation I felt, the utter isolation I endured, to remind me of what I would be going back to if I ever picked up that first drink! Knowing I don’t ever want to be in that place again keeps me from picking up. That knowledge is the ‘gift’ desperation gives me.
I understand now, that AA is about so much more than not drinking. It has utterly changed my life in ways I never could have imagined. I like to think I am a better person than the one who first walked into the rooms yet I know the work will never be done. AA is a lifelong commitment. As a sober woman, I look forward to whatever time I have on this earth trudging this road of happy destiny. I hope all of you will continue on this path with me.
The meeting is now open.
Please feel free to share on ‘a gift’ you have received in sobriety or on any topic you need to help you stay on your sober path.
Thank you for allowing me to be of service by chairing this week’s meeting,
Cheryl B