Remembering How Far I Have Come

Last night I attended my regular Al‑Anon meeting. No topic had been planned, and no one had volunteered to chair the meeting. So, one of the members stepped up to take on the topic of Step One. As she spoke, it became clear to me how totally powerless I was over the alcoholic and how totally unmanageable my life had been before Al‑Anon.

I remembered the chaos, frustration and inability to even think for myself before attending Al‑Anon. Fear had overpowered my every waking moment. I cried rivers of tears over many years of being unable to gain any control of my life—or anything else for that matter. As we talked, all those memories came flooding back to me with a tsunami of emotion.

When my turn came to speak, all I could do was say how grateful I was that I took the First Step. The joys of today had almost made me forget how desperately alone I felt when I first arrived. The sharing in that meeting reminded me I should never forget where I came from and how far I have come since then. I will continue to reflect on Step One and work on it just like I did when I studied the Steps for the very first time.

By Nancy P., Manitoba
The Forum, May 2017

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Reprinted with permission of The Forum, Al‑Anon Family Group Hdqts., Inc., Virginia Beach, VA.