As we've gone through the Twelve Steps, a lot of us have settled down. That pause before reacting. The need for everyone's approval. The lying. The one-upping. Getting offended over small stuff. And the sickest of all, resentment. Those things still show up from time to time, but they don't run our lives anymore. And when they do, we have tools now.
Somewhere along the way, we become better friends.
We listen more. We don't have to dominate every conversation or always be right. We can admit we're wrong, laugh at ourselves, and simply be there for another alcoholic.
And if we're lucky, somewhere along the way we meet one of those rare people in AA who has truly given themselves to this simple program. The kind who went to any lengths to stay sober. They don't usually preach. They don't have to. The way they live, the way they treat people, and the peace they carry says enough.
Maybe that's one of the greatest gifts of recovery. Every once in a while, the pressure of "staying sober" disappears, and we're just two drunks doing life together, helping each other through another day.
I have a feeling that's what the first two guys found.
Who has quietly taught you the most about recovery simply by the way they live?
As we've gone through the Twelve Steps, a lot of us have settled down. That pause before reacting. The need for everyone's approval. The lying. The one-upping. Getting offended over small stuff. And the sickest of all, resentment. Those things still show up from time to time, but they don't run our lives anymore. And when they do, we have tools now.
Somewhere along the way, we become better friends.
We listen more. We don't have to dominate every conversation or always be right. We can admit we're wrong, laugh at ourselves, and simply be there for another alcoholic.
And if we're lucky, somewhere along the way we meet one of those rare people in AA who has truly given themselves to this simple program. The kind who went to any lengths to stay sober. They don't usually preach. They don't have to. The way they live, the way they treat people, and the peace they carry says enough.
Maybe that's one of the greatest gifts of recovery. Every once in a while, the pressure of "staying sober" disappears, and we're just two drunks doing life together, helping each other through another day.
I have a feeling that's what the first two guys found.
Who has quietly taught you the most about recovery simply by the way they live?
