Yesterday I was reminded of the word “love”. It was at a chip day meeting. A day marking anniversary dates for remembrance of when so many got sober. And there was one young man, who received a 24 hour, one day, chip.
It was after the meeting, when the young man stood up, that a number of men came over and talked to him. And there it was. A reminder to me of the evening that Bill W. and Dr. Bob met. One alcoholic trying to help another alcoholic to achieve sobriety. If that isn’t love, attempting to help someone else save their life, I don’t know what is.
From the expressions on the faces of those men I didn’t see any other interest other than how to help this new man. An absence of ego and being self centered. None of them took their eyes off this young man’s face. And they talked. I couldn’t hear what was being said, but I could only guess that what it was went back to 1935. Maybe not the same words exactly, but the same thoughts.
Anyway, it caught my attention from the other side of the room. It reminded me of why we’re all here. Why I’m here. It’s about sobriety and staying sober. It’s about carrying the message to the alcoholic who still suffers. That there is a solution. The same message that was given to me back at my first meeting.
Those men talking to the young man, I would guess, had no thoughts of themselves. But only the thought of how they could help this young man. The same lack of thought of self, which I have experienced may times, when doing the same thing; trying to carry that message that there is a solution.
What was so freely given to them, was being given freely. Passing the gift on to another alcoholic. I could only hope he heard it. He certainly was being supported by these half dozen men.
I couldn’t help but think about this today. This instantaneous reaction to the young man’s announcement that he had a day sober. The desire to help him and introduce him to a new way of life. It not only caught my attention, but it made me think of what we learn in here. To love one another and pass it on. I’ve certainly experienced this in my life. It made me grateful and I was aware that these men were practicing gratitude also. I could see it on there faces. All anyone would have to do would be a witness to how this program works.