the weekend

I had a busy weekend, one in which I didn't dwell on anything other than the moments that I was in. I let the peaceful feeling that I had guide me which is quite an accomplishment for someone who used to be wound tight. I just let things happen and only had a couple of things that were scheduled. So, I went to the beach with one of the dogs, went out on the water, went out to eat, did some photography and enjoyed the company of a very good friend.

One of the more serious things that I learned this past week was that my sponsor has a serious illness. I thought about that a lot over the weekend. I am concerned but am also trusting that this good person will be okay. There are some people who just exude a sense of calm and well being. My sponsor is one of those individuals who has lived life to the fullest and enjoys every moment of what life has to offer. I am indeed fortunate to have such a wonderful person in my life.

Last night, I chaired my home group meeting. It was an anniversary for one of the members who shared her story. Every time I hear a life story, it amazes me that any of us survived the anguish that we've had to endure as children with angry or alcoholic parents. Most of us learned to survive either by shutting down, breaking down, running around or falling face down due to our own addictions. It's good that we found the Al-Anon or AA fellowship because there wasn't much else that appeared to work. It takes a lot to revisit the old pain and learn new ways of dealing with it. What's sad is that for every one of us who is in the program, there are countless others who either don't know about it or who choose not to try it.