Wisdom Of The Rooms - 2019

[bluidkiti]

February 11

Quote of the Week

“Keep Coming Back—To The Same Places”

In the beginning of sobriety and even before finishing the Twelve Steps with my sponsor, I knew I had to pass on what had been so freely given. It took 25 years of drinking and plenty of wreckage, pain and misery to finally come to A.A. and surrender to the solutions offered. So early on, I sponsored a woman from a wonderful recovery home and when she left the recovery home she gradually backed away and eventually disappeared, not returning phone calls. As I was traveling to work one morning, I saw her wandering at the corner of a busy intersection where I could not safely stop or turn around. My heart broke.

It was suggested to me by my sponsor to go to a minimum of so many committed meetings each week and to keep coming back to the same general meetings. In doing so, I found friends and a fellowship grew up around me just as promised. One morning I was at one of my regular meetings and the woman I had tried to help long ago walked in. She tearfully looked at me and said, “I knew you’d be here.” From that day, she and I have continued to work together and she is now sober 15 years.

“Keep coming back” is no joke to recovering alcoholics and miracles can happen if you are committed to the same general meetings. I am undisciplined and desperately need A.A. to continue to show me how to live and to be available to newcomers. Someone was there for me when I needed them, and I need to be there for that “someone” as well. And today, I am.