My medallion

I carry my Al-Anon medallion in my wallet. It reminds me every time that I open my wallet to take life "One Day at a Time".

It's just a regular bronze medallion. But to me, it is so special. It means that I can choose to incorporate the principles and steps of our awesome program into my everyday affairs. It helps me remember the willingness, open-mindedness, and honesty of living each day. It is a physical representation that my Higher Power is always with me.

I have had a few people remark about the medallion because it shows when I open my wallet. One fellow told me that he had one of those too. I just smiled.

I'm lucky that my home group decided to give out chips for each year in recovery. Not all Al-Anon groups do that. I wish that more Al-Anon groups would do the chip celebration. I think that it's special to be recognized for the milestones in recovery when that time comes. It is a great feeling to celebrate someone's birthday and have the medallion given by their sponsor to them. I've seen the medallion once held by a sponsor given to the sponsee--a passing of the spirit of recovery if you will.

My wife carries her chip in her wallet too. I remember when she showed each of her chips to me. I was touched by that. She told me that the chip is not a promise never to drink again, but just as mine says to take it "one day at a time".

In AA it is easy to know if you have made it one month, a year, or whatever in your program, simply by counting how long it has been since your last drink. There are some Al-Anon members who would say that not a day goes by when they don’t “slip” in some way from their emotional sobriety. The general consensus, however, seems to be that members decide for themselves if they want to get a chip based on the amount of time that they have been steadily working the program.

If you are in one of those fellowships where chips are rare, become a part of the Group Conscience meeting and propose a change. The beauty of a 12 Step program is that there is no one person in charge and everyone has a say and a vote. If you believe in the importance of celebrating recovery at your meetings, be the change you want to see!

"...I carry my medallion
To remind no one but me
That the Promises will unfold
If I let God work with me."
Anonymous