One of those things I have been given is to remember why I am here. It’s to stay sober a day at a time. Not a week, a month, a year, or forever. Just for now. The reason I bring this up is that this is what has helped me to stay sober. It brings peace into my life. I only have to do this for now.
Not that I’m thinking about a drink. I rarely ever do. It was one of the great blessings I was given. I never want to forget that. It’s what has given me so much hope and faith. And to top it off, gratitude. I owe my Higher Power the dedication to do whatever is needed to not only help myself to stay sober, but to give the gift I have been given to someone else like myself.
This last part is always a cause for wonderment to me. I have met so many people like me along the way. But very few ever stay away from a drink. It always makes me wonder. Why was I given the gift of despair? The cause of a deep deep depression, which motivated me to commit suicide. To rid myself of alcohol forever. I could not go on. And yet, a fellow drinker, came up to me and help lift me out of the thought of suicide. He gave me hope. Talk about a miracle.
I think I have told this part of my story to so many people with the hope that it will help them rid themselves of alcohol, like I was. I mean I knew nothing about alcoholism back then. To top it off, I knew nothing about this program. And that’s what my friend gave me. He had heard that morning about this program. He was told that men and women met and stayed sober together. He told me about a meeting and offered to take me there. That was what cut through my despair. It was this that gave me the hope I so desperately needed.
Later that day I prayed like I hadn’t in so many years. I begged the God of my understanding to take alcohol away, along with my way of life. I told Him that, if this was done, I would do whatever was needed in gratitude. I fell asleep and awoke the next day and alcohol was gone. It was a miracle for me. I can never forget that. I haven’t had a drink since that day.
I came into this program and have gone through a lot of things. I have been helped by my old sponsor and many just like him, who helped me to change my life through this program. I have a lot of good in my life. I won’t go any further for now. It was just that I was reminded of all this today. I attended what we call “chip day” up here. Anniversaries of individuals, who have stayed sober, just as I have. And it was this, which reminded me of what I have just said. I never ever want to forget what I have been given. I need to stop and say “thank you”, not just to my Higher Power, but to everyone in here, who contributed to what I needed to stay sober a day at a time.