Some things need to be said and this is one of them. I just picked up my 37 year chip this noon. It was not an emotional moment. It just was. It’s still a day at a time. But I had to think; it’s been 37 years a day at a time.
What I was really thinking about were a couple of things. The first is that I owe so much to so many, who made this all possible. Without them I probably wouldn’t be here. The second is always the same. This alcoholism is serious business. For us to drink is to die.
When I got home, I called an old friend of mine. I have known her for all these sober years. She had recently celebrated her 55th year in the program. Her husband of 43 years, who has passed away, was my sponsor. I told her how much I owed both Tom and her and how much they helped me along the way. I thanked her and we walked down memory lane together, talking about all the old timers we knew, who I also owed so much to.
Then I called another friend I’ve known over thirty years in the program and we did the same thing. I thanked her and, of course, we too went down memory lane and all the people we knew, who helped us both to stay sober.
I have a few more I need to call or get in touch with, who are still around. I feel compelled to talk to them and thank them for all their help in keeping me on track and sober.
But the other thought is still there. For all the cheerfulness, the laughs, the memories, the gratitude, underneath lies the reason I came here in the first place. Why we all came here. Alcohol was killing us and driving us insane. If not at that immediate moment, at least in the future with that next drink. This is what that chip symbolizes. Our escape from alcohol and death.
I was thinking about this with a whole lot of gratitude to God and all of those I have come in contact with. Everyone has contributed to this moment, even those I haven’t met yet. I need to say thank you.