Weekly AA Thread - Nov. 21 - 26

[retteacher]

Everyone:

I'm fine & going to meetings. On the heels of returning from vacation, my son arrived for Thanks. It's been a whirlwind of stuff ever since. I'm not neglecting my reading & meetings, but it's been hard to get online to see all of you.

Mettings have been about the holidays lately. I shared the other night that I'm so much more relaxed about them in a sober state:
-no more worrying about how much I can drink.
-no more worrying about acting sober.
-no more worrying about keeping an adequate supply of booze.
-etc.

All I have to worry about now is preparing food & having a good time. The g-kids & I have fun trying different kinds of sodas & spritzers (w/a soda base).

I used to stress about how everyone would get along w/each other. That has also diminished w/sobriety. It really is amazing how we get a "new freedom & a new happiness." I don't have to engineer the perfect holiday for everyone.

I'll be back.

Mary

[Doggygirl]

Weekly AA Thread - Nov. 21 - 26

Hi Mary! Good to see you, and also to know things are just busy for you right now! I love your summary of how the holidays are different now. I can relate to each point on your list of things we used to worry about from "trying to act sober" to insuring the supply of booze.

I still have work to do just rolling with the flow through this time of year. The holidays are not really my bag of tricks and never have been. These days I'm trying to just accept the way I feel and do the best I can. That's all any of us can do, right? My family will never be featured on a Norman Rockwell plate, that's for sure! And that's OK.

DG

[retteacher]

Weekly AA Thread - Nov. 21 - 26

Holidays are a good time to apply the principles of the Serenity Prayer.

[retteacher]

Weekly AA Thread - Nov. 21 - 26

When a person is MIA from MWO & from meetings, it can be somewhat worrisome. I recently saw someone whom I didn't see for quite a while. He was on a trip attending meetings all along the way. What a relief to see him actively participating in local AA again. He's a mainstay.

[retteacher]

Weekly AA Thread - Nov. 21 - 26

On Mon. I went to a meeting w/my son who is a recovering alcoholic. It was great.

Last night's meeting was a good one too. The speaker was a lawyer who managed to function (not very well) in spite of daily drinking & drugging. He had gotten to a point where he wanted to end his life even though he had a beautiful family, great job, wonderful parents. etc. It's amazing the way alcohol trumps all the blessings in our lives. To an outsider it doesn't make sense, but I hear this over & over at meetings.

Happy Thanksgiving Americanos. Mary

[Doggygirl]

Weekly AA Thread - Nov. 21 - 26

Hi Mary. How awesome to share a meeting with your son! There is a woman lawyer who I see a lot at AA - I've heard her speak a couple of times. What an interesting story she has. Proving once again that alcoholism doesn't care what your IQ is. It will take you anyway. And it sure trumped everything in my life there at the end.

I'm really grateful AL isn't running my life any more.

I will be chairing tomorrow morning - I'm so excited to do that on Thanksgiving!

DG