Talking to an old friend today, we shared a lot of how it was growing up in this program. We both laughed at the time when others would tell us how easy we had it and that AA came so quickly for us. None of that was true. It was difficult and often painful.
We both could agree on the fact that there was some point in time in our period of youth, where we stopped growing emotionally. It was even before we began to drink. Looking back, I can see where I failed to grasp the toughness that my parents and their generation seemed to have. Alcohol filled in the gaps for many years after that.
The problem was that the alcohol seemed to throw all of this stuff out into the streets and my stuff was all over the place. Then, when I came in, I couldn’t get it back within. And that led to a lengthy period in sobriety, where I was overflowing with all this emotional damage, until the program began to take hold.
As we talked we began to see where the spiritual solution this program offers us is really the answer. The healing effect, through the application of spiritual principles, took over what alcohol failed to do. I, like my friend, have begun to experience, not only what the program promises us, but something of emotional maturity.
We both had the priviledge today of listening to the story of a 91 year old man, who had just achieved 44 yrs. in the program. We heard how, after many efforts, he was able to find the solution through his higher power. Couldn’t help but be grateful for all that the program and the God of my understanding has given us. Not only life itself, but the restoration to sanity and the freedom from having to take that next drink.