Checking In With My Sponsor

I might have more than two decades of Al-Anon under my ever-expanding waistline, but that doesn't mean I can go it alone, especially around the holidays. I might have seven sponsees who come to me for advice and wisdom, but that doesn't mean I have it made, especially around the holidays. The holidays can be hard enough for normal people, but for those of us who grew up with alcoholism or untreated Al-Anon parents and then married alcoholics, well, we have an especially hard time. We don't have good memories to give us those great expectations, yet we still have great expectations. Then when things aren't turning out like we'd like, such as our own adult children not wanting to hang out with us or even each other, we are more than disappointed, we can become devastated. So when I was feeling badly about the the lack of a big, happy family Christmas, I knew I needed a shot of reality. It didn't matter that it snowed a foot today and the roads were bad, even treacherous. I needed to visit my sponsor face-to-face. She gives me the encouragement I need, the reminder of how much I have to be grateful for, such as grandchildren that I will see on Christmas. If it weren't for Al-Anon, I wouldn't get to see my grandchildren. If it weren't for my sponsor's unconditional love, I might not even be alive to know my grandchildren. And yet here I am, passing on that same unconditional love not only to my family the best way I know how now, but I get to pass it on to sponsees and to all of you. So happy holidays, everyone! May your new year be filled with meetings and your continual recovery in the Al-Anon program. If you haven't gone to a meeting yet, this is the perfect time of year to try one. You'll find you're not alone in your dealings with alcoholism. It might just be the best gift you can give yourself :-)