Today was the 53rd anniversary of the group I go to at noon. They had food of course and a short history of the group and the club. But the highlight was the woman, who gave the talk. Her name is Lee C. She’s a Native American, who has 40 years sober. And what sobriety! If ever you have heard an Indian speak, you know that they have a tone and a quality of speech that is near poetic. Anyway…
She covered her story well and then got near the end. She told how her sponsor had told her that she could skip everything else that happened in her story, as long as she remembered her last drinks and what had happened to her. She said as long as she can remember the end, she had something to hang on to, which would always remind her of her purpose. Then she said that she is convinced that it was no one person, who led her into these rooms. It was God. The only reason she is still alive and sober is because of that purpose. Her purpose she said is to help another alcoholic.
I know that I have had that same thought on many occassions. Why am I here? Why am I still sober. Why am I still alive? To do just what she said. To help another alcoholic.
There isn’t a day goes by that I don’t think of that at some time. I was blessed with this opportunity to have a second chance at life. I can’t dismiss this or I do it at my own peril. But it’s more than that. It’s about gratitude for all I have been given. I have been given much. But the main thing is the opportunity to give it back. What a great thing we have that we have been given the tools by which we might be able to turn someone’s life around and introduce them to life itself. Sobriety.
I couldn’t help but think and talk about this today. I felt the need to pass it on.