DON'T DRINK AND GO TO MEETINGS!

This is one of the many reminders that I have posted on the walls in my house. I, like so many others in recovery, have a short term memory problem. I was at my meeting last night ( the Rainbow group) and several people had brought up that they had problems staying sober for any length of time. The recurring theme that I heard was that they hadn't been to a meeting ( in days or weeks...). OK , so I get that it is tough to change from a drinking alcoholic to a sober alcoholic. I shared last night that twenty years ago I had received my first ( of two) one year medallions, the thing is, for me, after a period of time, say two or more years, I would go back out. The reason? For me, it was that eventually I would feel recovered, you know...complacent, high on life, proud of my accomplishments. But then the sleeping addict within me would convince me that maybe it was ok to miss just one meeting. Then maybe I would have a busy week and not get to a meeting at all. A month would pass then two, and sooner or later , I would go drink again!

If I have learned anything in these last twenty years, I hope that I will always remember to put my recovery first. We have all kinds of slogans to remind us, in the rooms, of course you have to be IN the rooms to see them! I love 'First things first'... because without recovery, my life would mean nothing. Each and every day I read my meditation books, I pray to my GOD for help, I reach out to friends, and I thank HIM for my sobriety.

Another slogan I love is "But for the grace of GOD' I always finish this one with...there go I... to me this means that if I do not have a daily conscious connection with my HP, then I will lose myself. It may be slowly at first, but surely in the end I will drink again and ' there go I' out to hurt me more, out to hurt others' more and out of the rooms so I can't share the message of recovery.

One Day at a Time is another slogan I absolutely cannot live without. A guy last night, who will celebrate 34 of sobriety, said he did it one day at a time. This is touching to me, that he thinks in Today, as I do, even with just a little over eight months for me, we both are just as far away from our first drink.

One of the best slogans for me has to be KISS- keep it simple stupid!!! As an alcoholic I find that I want to complicate things. I read the directions then try to find an easier, softer way to do things... for me this has led to disaster time and again. I think that Bill W. and Dr. Bob knew what they were doing all those years ago when the two of them would meet and talk recovery. Then they would carry the message to those who still suffered, Then they would meet together to share their experience, strength and hope. The next day they would start the process all over again... and look at AA today...All over the world, in countless different language, encompassing all religions, all colours of people, all sexes and sexual orientations. We are all alike in that we can never safely drink alcohol. And how do we achieve this daily reprieve from our alcoholism... DON'T DRINK AND GO TO MEETINGS!!!

Today I am ever so grateful for the sober Blogging community that I have found,on the days when I don't get out, I can spend hours 'stalking' sober blogs, reading the stories out there that are a lot like mine. I can give feedback ( read leave my two cents worth), I can post about my day and have people tell me how they can relate to my feelings. I love that there are others out there who I have connected with, as long lost brothers and sisters. We may never meet, but sometimes we do, but no matter where we are geographically, or in our recovery, we ALL only have today, and for that I AM VERY GRATEFUL...

Today I am choosing to make a list of things that make my world a better place, things I wish never to take for granted. Today I am grateful for...

-My sobriety
- My Devilteen, who calls her mommy when she is sick
-All of the people I have met in my recovery
-A safe place to go to share my fears, my hopes and about me
-The sun that is shining today
-The winter that will (soon???) end, giving way to the spring
-That today I have everything I need and then some
-I have good, nutrtious food to eat today
-I live in a safe and loving home
-That my pets are with me and love me no matter what
-All of the people who take time out of their day to say hi!

So today I will end My post with the sharing of one of my readings...Daily Reflections for February 8 th...

CONVINCING MR. HYDE

Even then, as we hew away, peace and joy will still allude us. That's the place that so many of us AA oldsters have come to. And it's a hell of a spot, literally. How shall our unconscious-from which so many of our fears, compulsions and phony aspirations still stream- be brought into line with what we actually believe, know and want! How to convince our dumb, raging and hidden "Mr. Hyde" becomes our main task.
The Best of Bill pg. 42-43

Regular attendance at meetings, serving and helping others, is the recipe that many have tried and found to be successful. Whenever I stray from these basic principles, my old habits resurface and my old self also comes back with all it's fears and defects. The ultimate goal of every AA is permanent sobriety, achieved One Day at a Time...

And If anyone had any doubt about a Higher Power...What was I talking about in my post???
Keep coming back...