Tag Archives: Fellowship

Jul 01: 4 Reasons Why I’m Active in AA

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Reasons Why I’m Active in AA

Hello all, Yolanda, humbly grateful alcoholic here to serve. Welcome to new members and congrats to those celebrating sober milestones – I’m glad everyone is here.

I chaired the end of the month Birthday Speaker meeting at one of my regular meetings yesterday, and it was an amazingly powerful meeting. Several people picked up one year medallions and one person celebrated having 9 years of continuous sobriety – glorious! The speaker was a gentleman who imparts such words of wisdom that it was truly an honor to introduce him and hear his ESH.

He began his story by reading pages 180-181 from the BB, and as I was considering my topic, it continually came to mind. In this section, Dr. Bob’s Nightmare, he’s talking about why he continued to be active in AA:

  1. Sense of duty.
  2. It is a pleasure.
  3. Because in so doing I am paying my debt to the man who took time to pass it on to me.
  4. Because every time I do it I take out a little more insurance for myself against a possible slip.

When people ask why I still attend meetings, sponsor others and do service work, without realizing I was strikingly similar to Dr. Bob, I give these reasons. I have been given SO much from this program that to take it all and not help someone is returning to my old character defects and being selfish and self-centered. This is the sense of duty.

Because it’s a pleasure: to help someone through their steps, be an ear when they need to work through a problem, chair a meeting, make coffee, etc., all these things make me feel I’m contributing to this Society and it fills my cup. It brings me joy to be of use to others!

By doing so I’m repaying a debt to those who showed me the way: my sponsor(s) have put a lot of work and time into my sobriety and they’ve shared so much wisdom with me that who am I to keep it to myself? Again, I can’t be, shouldn’t be so selfish as to keep it to myself. They helped me so I know their words would help others and I’m happy to share how their suggestions helped me deal with various issues and it could possibly help them, too.

Lastly, continuing to be active is my insurance against slipping: working with a Sponsee always reminds me why I got sober. I can listen to their pain and remember my own like I was just drowning in it yesterday, and I never want to feel that way again. If I slip up and drink, I’m right back where I was 3.5 years ago or worse- I would be in jail, in the hospital or dead.

So, why are you here? What keeps you an active “card carrying” member of this fine fellowship? Do you have reasons other than above or what are your thoughts on the reasons Dr. Bob noted- can you relate? I look forward to reading your shares and thank you for allowing me the privilege of serving. The meeting is now open……….

May 20: The AA Group – home or away, f2f or online

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The AA Group – home or away, f2f or online

Welcome especially to ladies joining us, if this is your first Grow weekly topic meeting I’m glad you found us. Congratulations to anniversary and milestones too. If you’re new to AA, it was suggested to me that I listen for the similarities not the differences.

I’ve recently been reflecting on my journey with different home groups that I’ve been part of in AA and of times I’ve travelled with home group members, doing service beyond my group or geographical location. I recall many happy times car sharing and hitting the road to attend a convention, a service meeting, to carry the message to a prison or treatment centre or to support a new meeting. I have great memories of the fun, the laughs, the openness and intimacy, the feeling of joy at being sober, of experiencing the “camaraderie” our Big Book describes. And the bonds and unity with my fellow home group members being strengthened and deepened through these shared times. I have nearly always been able to have a face to face home group, for which I’m so grateful. But I’m also grateful I needed to reach out and be part of an online email home group too, the love and support here has carried me at times.

I joined my first f2f home group at a week sober. I got the tea-making service post a week later. I cried into that tea pot most weeks for my first year! But I was loved anyway. Later on I became group secretary, then later served as GSR. That was where I really began to experience the wonder of “one alcoholic talking to another”.

That was where I learned about carrying the message into prisons, the AA helpline, about turning up to a service meeting and making a commitment. I’m grateful to all those members in that first home group and first intergroup and first area for showing me how service would help me grow. For me, my weekly grounding comes from being part of an AA group. Somewhere I can do service, be of use, carry the message that was carried to me, but also a place to get strength and inspiration, a place to get that “different perspective” that I so often need. It’s also where I can feel connected, that I’m not alone, and get a hug (even email hugs make a difference to my day!!).

I love our weekly topic meetings here. I love how safe our Grow group is and I’m grateful for all the women who’ve done service here over the years to help us stay that way and function within the AA Traditions. I am grateful I get to check in with our weekly topic meeting or the monthly step & tradition meeting or the Grapevine topic meeting just by looking at my emails.

I had post natal anxiety a few years ago, where my mental health was in crisis, and at times I couldn’t leave my house let alone get to a meeting. I reached out to fellowship and members came to my home every Sunday for months for a meeting. Someone brought an old set of banners, people came with food to share afterwards, we took turns chairing and choosing topics. It was beautiful. It kept me “in” the fellowship. Back then I didn’t know about how supportive being in online AA could be. I also had no idea that my f2f home group would actually be in my home for a while! Travel has played a part in my sobriety. I relocated cities at almost 5 years sober, countries at 12 years and again at 16 years and then cities last year. In each place I’ve lived I’ve joined a group and done service, and felt part of. I’ve always sought out fellowship and meetings on holidays too and it makes me smile at some of the adventures I’ve had searching for a meeting venue abroad in a new and strange place. And that feeling of taking a seat, seeing the 12 Steps & 12 Traditions on the walls, the silence or prayer at the beginning and that feeling in my bones and in my heart that “I’m home”.

One of the few times I took an overseas trip for work, the meeting room turned out to be on the same street as my hotel and the meeting time meant I could do the meeting before dinner and the evening with colleagues. Such a god job!

One of the things I love about being a member here in Grow is the variety of experiences and bits of AA history and stories I hear from you. They inspire me to keep coming back and to keep growing. This week our topic is the AA group home or away – online or f2f. Please share on this or whatever you need to. The meeting is yours.
In fellowship
Sophie

Mar 25: Fellowship

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Fellowship

“But there exists among us a fellowship, a friendliness, and an understanding, which is indescribably wonderful.” BB pg 17

Hi Ladies. My name is Alison B and I am an alcoholic. Welcome to the new gals and congratulations to those celebrating a milestone this month. I’m traveling this week and am waiting for a topic to reveal itself to me. I flew to California for my daughter’s baby shower; I really wanted to rub her belly and feel my grandson kick. She is due in about 5 weeks, so that belly is getting ripe! Lol.

Ok, it’s the end of an amazing week of AA Fellowship for me, hence the topic choice. I live in a region of Michigan that has little “fellowshipping” outside of the AA meetings. And this past week has been spent traveling to see friends and family in another California. I realized that my friends are mostly all members of Alcoholic Anonymous. As one of my girlfriends shared, though it has been years since “the clan” has all been together, it was as if we somehow transcended time. Our camaraderie, community, sisterhood and fellowship remains unchanged as time passes. It is the essence of our beings. We have survived the alcoholic storm that befell us all, and thrive in our AA Fellowship together. It was a beautiful week. I was able to reconnect with my old home group in two different regions of California that I once called home.

There is such a powerful positive energy or force in the collective spirit of sober women. I was able to celebrate my 25th sober birthday with these beautiful ladies. There is no substitute for the good old face to face meetings in my opinion. The hugs, the pats, hand holding, Kleenex fetching, care and love I have found in the rooms of AA is unparalleled. For me, there simply is no replacement for the personal contact with others. Don’t get me wrong, I love GROW too. It compliments my face to face Fellowship.

It is an honor and a privilege to witness the struggles and the spiritual growth of my fellow women in sobriety. What does Fellowship mean to you?

Thank you for the wonderful birthday wishes this past week!
Alison B

Feb 25: AA is a We Program

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AA is a We Program

Hello ladies of GROW, my name is Allison and I am an alcoholic. Yesterday I celebrated 3 years of sobriety! I came into GROW on day 1, before I had even attended a f2f meeting, and have been grateful for you wonderful women every day since!

I’d like to suggest as our topic this week: AA Is a We Program, and what that means to each of us.

Reflecting back on the misery of my life before I got here, and the peace and happiness I have found over the past 3 years, I realize the part of the deviousness of my addiction was how it stripped away my relationships one by one, until no one was left. Alcoholism is a jealous disease, and it doesn’t tolerate competitors. I might (but most likely wouldn’t) be able to stay sober on my own – but it’s so much more fun to live in recovery with my friends!

And of course, we know that we have to give away what we get through this program in order to keep it!

I look forward to hearing what you have to say about this topic, or about what is affecting your sobriety today!