What an amazing day. I received a call from an old friend of mine in AA. We went way back, and he has been out of state working for a long time now. The call made me feel great. And the length of this call and it’s content was something wonderful for both of us.
While he was talking I was reminded of myself a long time ago in the program. The things I had gone through and been helped by all those old timers and my sponsor. He had been pushed by what he was doing and it pulled him down mentally. And yet, with the help of some in the program, like me, he was helped up and started to do what he needed to do with his sobriety and his life.
Plus we were able to go through a lot of things, which both of us could identify with. Things we read in the BB, and Steps we did work. We even went deeper and talked about those who had given us the help we needed in different areas of our being able to practice this program.
I was even reminded of the Traditions and the need to practice our unity in this program, as stated by our old founders, who were able to see what had ruined the old Washingtonians back in the time of before the Civil War. It divided them and they had no rules to guide them and they collapsed. We talked about how we need to maintain the practice of staying sober from alcohol only and just what we need to do to help others like ourselves.
Then I reminded him of the last page in the 12&12, which has two paragraphs at the bottom…the Eleventh and Twelfth Traditions. I told him how these two talked about something I have always needed in here, and that is humility. Helping me to deal with what I need to take care of, and that’s being able to put my ego aside and change. Spiritual growth.
Anyway, we did talk about a lot of stuff we both need to do and to help ourselves stay sober one day at a time. I know that we did say what we needed to about growing along spiritual lines. How our sponsors and others helped us to not only practice, but to change and grow. The gifts we have both received from our Higher Power, like happiness and peace, hope, faith, and love. And it went on, which gave us both gratitude and peace of mind. Also we were given a lot of humor we all need, to help us share the love of friendship, as well as the spiritual way of life.