This was one of those days, when the importance of meetings was thrust into the center. We had someone in attendance, who had stopped going to meetings two years ago and ended up drinking again.
The message, which came from those in attendance today, was that we can’t stay sober by ourselves. We need to attend meetings regularly to be reminded of why we are here. Several men and women told their stories of how they too had stopped going to meetings for a number of reasons and eventually ended up drunk again and in a worse state than when they first came in.
They emphasized how much more difficult it was for them to phase themselves back into the groups they attended. How difficult it was for them to be open and honest with the members of the group. How hard it was to become part of the group and establish trust in others. They had lost the relationships they once had. And worse, how hard it was to establish a spiritual way of life, having lost hope and faith. They had lost the ability to have an open heart and an open mind. Difficult to pick up the Steps and put them into action.
Several members related how much they need the meetings to remind them of why they are here. Why they never want to go back to drinking alcohol again. The horrible suffering that brought them into the program in the first place. How many narrowly escaped death from alcohol. They never ever wanted to go through that again. To which I have to say me too.
I think it was expressed how much everyone wanted this person to get the message. It doesn’t matter what we think or how we feel it’s the best thing we can do for ourselves to attend meetings. Whatever the excuses we give ourselves for why we need not go to meetings have no basis in reality for us. Our primary purpose can never be ignored. Whatever we think, that this or that is more important falls short, when we consider we wouldn’t have this life we’re now leading, if we hadn’t stopped drinking. Our sobriety provides us with so many opportunities we never would have had, that we need to put other things aside for an hour to reinforce our hearts and minds in why we are sober in the first place.
Anyway it was a good reminder for all of us today why we are here. But mostly it was great to be in a meeting, where we could sit and contemplate the importance of meetings. I know that I got a lot of it and was glad that I was there to hear what I needed to hear.