What’s in your Toolbox?
Hello Ladies, Jennifer here, alkie.. very sorry to be late.. had every intention of doing this before hand and having it ready, however, life happened..
First off, congrats to all who have celebrated this month and welcome to our new members. I don’t post very much, however, I do read and love the ESH of this group. I’ve been a member for many years, have done service work in the past (I always say, BD-before disability) and like to chair a couple times a year to be of service these days.
My sober date is September 30, 1992 – which means, if HP graces me with a few more 24 hours, I will celebrate 25 yrs in this program this coming Saturday. Over the years, I have acquired many tools of the program. From the beginning, it was suggested that I gain a sponsor..I did..It was suggested I formally do the steps, I did, a few times over..it was suggested I be of service and I did..and still do as I can..and I read the BB, many times over.I have not always done what was suggested..I walked away from the program for many years..not being sponsored and not sponsoring..thank HP that I still had the tools of the program so that I did not physically relapse, however, I did emotionally and spiritually many times. I walked back into the program of AA at 14 yrs sober and never looked back! Again very lucky to have kept sober that whole time (dry actually).
Today, I am able to finally make 1-2 F2F mtgs a week and I use the internet (video mtgs live) for the times I am unable to get out of the house, and, of course, there is our group GROW!! There is NO excuse today for me not to make a mtg. It is in those meetings that I fine tune my tools, get reminded that I may need to use my tools and even still do add to my tool box. I also recently asked a new lady to sponsor me and it’s been the best thing I did for myself in the last couple years. I’m following suggestions and working this program daily, even in the midst of a lot of chaos recently with the hurricanes and other stuff I’ll mention below, I’ve not found it necessary to drink over any of it and for that I am grateful!
When you are a sober gal, dealing with health challenges, there are set backs that are unavoidable. I’ve had to reinvent myself in what my abilities are at the time many times over. I could sit on my pity pot or as my dear friend use to say, I could get up and flush and move on. One of my tools is sayings..This too shall pass, one day at a time, one hour at a time, one min at a time, one sec at a time..one breath at a time..Just breath..I’ve been using that one a lot.
The awesome thing about the tools of the program..is that I can share them today, even with normies. One of my best friends in the world just got diagnosed with Cancer the last couple weeks and I am able to be present today and share our sayings and our teachings to assist her with her fear and anxieties..to connect to something greater then herself (which she already has) and to help remind her that we are not in charge..all we can do is the footwork and HP has the rest.
So, I hope this made sense..I’m a bit all over the place hence the lateness so I appreciate your patience with me today. I guess there could be a couple topics in there but my point was to bring home that the program affords us so many tools to allow us to live a sober life today.
Would love to hear what is in your tool box?