Today we were talking about the Traditions and something I think I rarely spend much time on became apparent. It’s about the Steps…but then, it’s about the Traditions and their role in our sobriety.
When I came into the program, I was presented with the 12 Steps as the pathway to sobriety. Over time, the Steps became the focus of my sobriety. Today, I still see them as the tools I need to stay sober. Yet, over time I was introduced to the 12 Traditions. I was told that they were the “glue” which keep this program together. But now I see them as more than just that.
As our meeting went on, one of our old timers talked about their importance. He said that the steps are what get us sober, but it’s the traditions which keep us sober. As he talked, it opened a new way for me to look at these Traditions. My mind went back to the beginning and that first meeting, which introduced me to sobriety. I could then see the Traditions in action. The fifth Tradition was in action, when the group carried the message to me that there was a solution to my problem with alcohol. The third was presented to me, when they talked about the only requirement and accepted me with open arms, when I finally admitted I was powerless over alcohol. From the first to the 12th, the Traditions were being put into place as that meeting went on. But, I didn’t see that at the time, nor for a long time after.
It is easy to take these Traditions for granted. I know I did. I read them and go over them from time to time, but their real importance for each and everyone of us individually is not always apparent. I can remember how my sponsor would emphasize how important it was for me to incorporate these Traditions in my daily life. I accepted his words and would try to do this, but it was not always clear how I could do that. After this man’s words today, it suddenly became clear.
Anyway, I was thinking about this today and grateful that I had the opportunity to be there and hear this man’s words and to be able to express my gratitude for what these traditions have done for me and how they have provided the environment for my sobriety.