Weekly AA Thread - Dec. 13 - Dec. 19

[Doggygirl]

Weekly AA Thread - Dec. 13 - Dec. 19

Hello all! Tough chicks meeting yesterday was very very good. The more we read, the more I like the "Woman's Way Through the Twelve Steps" book and work book. We finished the book reading about Step 4 yesterday and will start the workbook next Friday which I am really looking forward to.

We talked yesterday about the inventory and the real purpose. It's to get to know ourselves in an honest way, and seek BALANCE. It's not solely to dredge up the wreckage of the past, but to examine our weaker qualities AND our strengths. One woman with many years of sobriety who has sponsored many women said that she insists her sponsees list as many strengths as they do "improvement needed" areas. I did not do that in my 4th step and was thinking how difficult that would be for me. Not because I don't have strengths but because I feel very uncomfortable ever acknowledging them to myself - much less saying to someone else that "I have X strength - that is something I'm good at / proud of." I'm looking forward to the work book as I'm guessing there will be at least one exercise about that. We also talked about how a weakness CAN be a strength if we use our gifts in the right way. An example might be perfectionism. Our tendency towards that as women can have a positive or negative outcome depending on how it is applied, and whether it is in balance or not. BALANCE. I certainly had none of that when I was drinking. I was a person of extremes. I can still lean that way if I'm not consciously working my program every day. (prayer and meditation, meetings, connecting with others, helping others, etc.)

I went to a meeting this morning. It's a Big Book meeting and we read part of the Chapter to Employers. That brought up lots of memories for me and everyone at the meeting about how our drinking affected us in our professional lives. I quit a $150K a year job rather than quit drinking, for one thing. :egad:

I'm grateful for sobriety and I'm grateful for AA. It stretches my mind in a good direction.

DG

[retteacher]

Weekly AA Thread - Dec. 13 - Dec. 19

DG: I don't think I listed my strengths when I did my inventory. I know I must have them. I do feel that doing the 4th & especially the 5th & 9th steps really "cleared the decks" for me. I held so many secrets & stuff I was ashamed of that spilling it all was a great relief.

I love the idea of a "tough chicks" group. It sounds great.

Tonight is my fav meeting: the "burning desire" discussion. My husb usually comes too. I think it gives him a glimpse of what we as alcholics did & went through. The folks in the group treat him as a kind of mascot. I think it's affirming for them to know that our non-alcoholic relatives & partners can try to understand & forgive.

Mary

[Doggygirl]

Weekly AA Thread - Dec. 13 - Dec. 19

Mary, I think it's great that your husband supports you by going and listening. Sometimes I wish mine had more of an interest in doing that. However, I am very very grateful that he is completely supportive of my involvement in AA. He never questions how much time I spend in meetings, etc. And he is always willing to go to things that are very important to me i.e. when I am speaking or a special picnic, etc. I try not to abuse by asking too often. I really do have more support than many - even though it is not exactly what I might want if I could "have everything."

DG

[j-vo]

Weekly AA Thread - Dec. 13 - Dec. 19

Hi AA Friends,
Haven't had much of a chance to do much posting this week, as the x-mas to do's got in the way. My son had his first choral concert this week as well as a x-mas semi-formal dance. He was dressed up wearing a tie twice this week! I think that's probably more than he has in his life. And he was so handsome if I do say so!

It's been an incredible holiday season for me. I'm so very busy, but getting to do everything and enjoy it to boot.

Our meeting this morning focused on gratitude. This is my second gratitude meeting. At my first, I didn't get to share. But I did this morning. I don't know what it is, but this gratitude meeting and the last one were very emotional for me. Just listening to others and what they're grateful for, what they have now, just brings happy tears. I shared that this is the first season I have not suffered from severe depression. I've been able to enjoy the season, I listen to x-mas music, and although I don't love the hecticness of the season, I certainly have gotten everything done. I made cookies, went to my son's chorus concert (now I know why he likes chorus - his teacher is a hottie!) and handled everything that has made me just miserable in the past. I'm so looking forward to this week. We have two basketball games and I hope to get two meetings in. Mom and Dad are coming into stay with us and I'm looking forward to a break from work! So I'm grateful, very grateful for my new life, new friends, my son being with his sober mom, and my husband who is very supportive. Thanks for listening!

Chill, is that movie "My Name is Bill" on video - is it an older movie? Comcast?
DG, I didn't know they had a workbook to go along with the big book. Did you order that online?

[Doggygirl]

Weekly AA Thread - Dec. 13 - Dec. 19

j-vo, your post made me smile so big! I needed that too. A dose of gratitude 30 minutes before my in-laws arrive. Timely. I knew I would get what I needed here!

I also have a positive AA experience this morning. One of the Tough Chicks was speaking at a meeting. It was a bit of a drive but I decided to go anyway (despite in-laws coming today!!) I'm so glad I did. Further bonding with this wonderfully diverse group of women. And as usual, much in common that I was not previously aware of with the woman from our group who was one of the two speakers. We have several things in common, but our implementations of the "geographic solution" were eerily similar.

There was also a very young man (age 23) who spoke. His ride to his bottom started and ended early in life. I could still relate. The only difference is that apparently, what was "whopadoo punch" (ever clear and koolaid) in my college days now goes by another name.

It's amazing how much we all have in common.

DG

[Cherbear]

Weekly AA Thread - Dec. 13 - Dec. 19

Hi everyone,
I'm celebrating my 6 month mark today!!

J-vo... I am so with you , I too am enjoying the activities of the season so much more than I used to.
I used to just fret about getting stuff done and grumble,

My tough chicks group is called "cute but dangerous"
Its upstairs at a location at the same time as an NA meeting and one time a gal came in late and said I went to the wrong meeting and realized these guys aren't "cute" only dangerous! kidding of course, it was hilarious.

We have an offer on our house !! so Its looking like we really are moving!! so here goes a big life change sober!! I was shocked at how fast our house sold, It just goes to show you can't alway listen to the gloom and doom that the media portrays. I KNOW my fear would have gotten the best of me before and not wanted to make this change.

I had a wonderful compliment from my husband after I mentioned I had 6 months... He said, " I notice you carry yourself more confident now" I really reflected on how the shame really had been deep.

Hope everyone has a great day!

[dancelot]

Weekly AA Thread - Dec. 13 - Dec. 19

Congratulations Cherbear on 6 months!!!!!!!

That's a wonderful compliment from your husband, and shows how much progress you've made on the inside that's reflected on the outside!!!! I am happy for you!!!!! :h

[j-vo]

Weekly AA Thread - Dec. 13 - Dec. 19

DG, there are some younger kids at our meeting and I sometimes find it hard to believe that they can be "alcoholic" but everyone apparently reaches that bottom at a different rate. Good luck with your in-laws! My parents will be in on Tuesday of this week and staying until the following Tues. In-laws are a littler trickier to handle for the week!

Cher, congrats on selling your house, and more important, congrats on your 6 months! How nice to have your husband's support and positive observations. That's wonderful.

This morning I met a new friend from my fellowship for breakfast. It was such great conversation. She told me something that she'd just found out recently (maybe a few months ago), that she has MS. We talked about her symptoms and how she's dealing with things. She said the medicine and physical therapy she has been getting have helped her a lot.

Not long ago, I would pray to my HP to give me cancer. That's how low I'd sunk. Suicidal thoughts. But the way I was, I'd be too afraid to commit suicide, so I figured I'd just ask HP for the cancer because if I was diagnosed with it and it was terminal, then I'd only have to live this awful life for a limited amount of time. HP obviously had something better in store for me. And I'm grateful. Sorry for this very depressing post. But I am not suicidal now, and I pray for good health. Have a good nite.

[mylife]

Weekly AA Thread - Dec. 13 - Dec. 19

Hi All,

J-Vo that was not a depressing post at all. I think many of us had similar thoughts and it's so wonderful to share how much happier we can be without Alcohol poisoning our bodies and minds.

Thanks all of you for sharing your positive experiences this week!

[retteacher]

Weekly AA Thread - Dec. 13 - Dec. 19

Cher: Congratulations on your 6 month mark...that's big. I do love the compliment your husb gave you. Yes, my shame ran very, very deep too. I still have to work not to "regret the past." Some of the stuff I did was just so unacceptable. However, I'm sober now, for this wonderful 24 hour period, & I can continue to clear the "wreckage of the past." Mary

[Cherbear]

Weekly AA Thread - Dec. 13 - Dec. 19

Thanks everyone
I love this thread!!! my mini meeting

[Doggygirl]

Weekly AA Thread - Dec. 13 - Dec. 19

Cherbear, congratulation on 6 months! That is fabulous as are your husband's comments. I bet that felt great to hear from him!

j-vo, your post was not depressing. I too saw no way out other than to die. I was saving up prescription pills myself. The shame ran deep indeed.

I see there is a new thread for the week so I'm going to pop in quick there!

DG