Too many balls.....in the mouth and in the air

Lou at Subdural Flow invited us to post a photo that makes me smile. I have quite a few silly dog photos that always make me smile.  Here is a dog who has a lot of balls.  The nature of Labradors is such that they not only love their humans unconditionally, but they love having things in their mouths.  That may include tennis balls, frogs, squirrels, your hand, or any number of other things which they hold gently, even softly without damaging the critter. The animals are like children to us, and we love them. (And yes, we have dogs--actually several of them and three cats.)

Speaking of balls,  this seems to be the time of year when every one is juggling too many of them, and a few have come crashing down.  The rooms are filled with newcomers these days with about 3-4 at each meeting I attend. Maybe the holiday drinking has brought them to a point in which they realize that there is a problem--not just with the person who is drinking or using but with their behavior around them. Their world is falling apart.

Last night was no exception.  There was a new man at the meeting.  He was very angry and came in shouting and yelling.  His daughter, who is his qualifier, had taken his debit card and spent the money.  She is an adult, but the parents have done a lot of enabling of her over the years.  Now, he has come to the realization that he has been fooled, manipulated, and lied to.

That's a tough place to be.  Even though he was stuck in his own anger and misery,  I hope that he heard something that will resonate.  I have been where he was and stayed that way for many years. I am thankful that I learned about the solution through Al-Anon.

Imagine life as a game in which you are juggling five balls in the air. You name them - work, family, health, friends, and spirit - and you're keeping all of these in the air. You will soon understand that work is a rubber ball. If you drop it, it will bounce back. But the other four balls - family, health, friends, and spirit are made of glass. If you drop one of these, they will be irrevocably scuffed, marked, nicked, damaged, or even shattered. They will never be the same. You must understand that and strive for balance in your life. Bryan Dyson