Wednesday, May 20, 2009

All is welcome here


Broken hearts and broken wings,
Bring it all and everything.
Bring the song you fear to sing.
All is welcome here.
And even if you broke your vow a thousand times, come anyhow.
We're stepping into the power of now
And all is welcome here.

I stood alone at the gateless gate
Too drunk on love to hesitate
To the winds I cast my fate
And the remnants of my fear
I took a deep breath and I leapt
And I awoke as if I'd never slept
Tears of gratitude I wept
I was welcome here
- Miten

There were three newcomers at the meeting last night. I was asked to give them a welcome to Al-Anon. I like to do that because it's important for them to hear that someone who was broken and had no song to sing, can now feel comfortable and at ease.

I literally ran into my first meeting because the address was wrong on the web site. I went to the old address which was in a housing project. I had no idea where the meeting was but came to the conclusion after wandering around for 10 minutes that it wasn't there. Finally, a lady popped her head out her door to ask me what I was looking for. I told her and she directed me to the Al-Anon meeting place that had been moved down the road a bit.

I didn't hesitate to get into the meeting. I didn't know what to expect. I carried my fears, my shattered dreams, my broken vows, my pain right into the room. And I found that I was welcome.

I can't remember whether I wept tears of gratitude at that meeting, but I know that I felt the tears inside. The gratitude came to me when phone numbers were given to me. And people told me to keep going to meetings because that was where I needed to be. I believed them.

I hope that the newcomers got the message that they are welcome. And the healing of their broken hearts and broken wings can begin.

13 comments:

  1. your life sounds blessed. or maybe it's your heart. that's big enought to accept help and change.

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  2. lovely sharing of your experience, Syd...

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  3. and healing does happen in time, it happens.

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  4. I'm sure you made them feel completely welcome Syd. You make me feel completely welcomed every time I read your blog.

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  5. I love the poem...it's so great. Thanks for posting it. And your words are inspirational. I'm certain that all newcomers felt very welcome.

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  6. I just found out a great friend of mine (an alanon) always wanted an orphanage when she was young, that's what she dreamed of. Her husband is now a very service oriented AA'er and they have a house full of program orphans all the time.... They have truly opened their lives to recovery and taken in so many of us broken birds... Your poem reminded me of that... thanks!

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  7. If you were the one doing the welcoming, I'd bet money that they felt welcome.

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  8. It's such an honest program, people's hearts touch each other and egos get left at the door.

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  9. Awww! Syd, thanks for this poem! I Love newcomers. Because I feel like I'm a newcomer. When they do the Welcome, I listen each time like it's the first time. My home meeting is a Call Up meeting and I tend to sit to the right of the door near the back. For whatever reason, every single newcome sits in the back row or two of the right. One of my spiritual gifts is hospitality and the newcomers mean so much to me. I'm always brought to a place of gratitude for the program and they help me feel that...and I'm glad for them.

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  10. I wish there would have been people like you at the meetings I've gone to. I went to three without speaking to a soul. The fourth one a couple recognized me from another meeting at a rehab center our sons were at together. I am so painful shy I just sit and hope to God someone will talk to me first, I just can't seem to do it.

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  11. Good morning, Syd!
    I enjoy opening your blog with all the comments - - - it's better than the morning newspaper! Your comments on your own E.S.H. - reminded me of the first time I went to an Al-Anon meeting (my hubby refused to attend the adjoining AA meeting - which I MEANT for him to attend) - - - I heard the chairperson say, along with much that I did not hear, nor do I even remember - - - but somehow my spirit needed to hear the words, "Welcome! You are the most special person in this room tonight. . ." Those words sank into my soul like salve on a very sore achy non-entity - - - and I began to feel 'part of.' Thanks so much for reminding me of those early days. It's amazing how the things we - or I - say may be just what another person needs to hear.
    Hugs,
    Anonymous #1

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  12. Thank you for your share as usual it was just what I needed to hear, and I am so grateful that there are those who share!
    G

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