One of Those "God Things" - SoberRecovery : Alcoholism Drug Addiction Help and Information

freya · 07-04-2009, 02:22 PM

Last night I went to my partner's HG meeting with her. It's a gay/gay-friendly meeting. Anyways, there was this guy (straight guy) there, with whom I used to work and whom I have not seen since I left that job more than 13 years ago.

I had gotten divorced the year before I left that job, and when my ex-husband left, he had left behind several of these penguin items that I and/or our sons had given him -- because we had 2 little boys and I just really loved the fatherhood imagery associated with the Emperor Penguins. Well, this young guy at work and his wife had just had their first baby at that time, and he was all about this baby and parenting and fatherhood, and I was so impressed with how into it all he was and how seriously he was taking it, so I brought one of the little penguin statues up to school, explained to him what it meant to me & why I was trying to get rid of it, and asked him if he wanted it. He did.

Like I said, that was, like, 14 years ago. Anyways, yesterday, he shows up at this meeting, and he recognizes me. (I would not have recognized him.) And he is very excited to see me. So we started talking and he tells me that he got sober about a year ago....and that one of the things that really "inspired" him to do it was that little statue! He said that he has always kept it on his desk at school. His wife had left him in 2003 and that's when his drinking really started to get out-of-control. Finally, one day last year, he was in his office thinking about how terrible his life was and how miserable he was, and he happened to look at that statue and remember the kind of father he had wanted to be...compared to the kind of father he was turning out to be. He said it made him sick with himself.

So, the next day he went to his first AA meeting, and he's been sober ever since!!!!

Wow...that is just so cool...and I'm so grateful that HP "arranged" to let me know about it!

freya

**Ann** · 07-04-2009, 02:30 PM

They say that coincidence is God's way of remaining anonymous. I love your story and hearing about another one who got clean.

That's one powerful little penguin just doing his job.

***indigo*** · 07-05-2009, 01:51 AM

How wonderful Freya.

Boleo · 07-06-2009, 01:27 PM

Synchronicity is the experience of two or more events which are causally unrelated occurring together in a meaningful manner. In order to count as synchronicity, the events should be unlikely to occur together by chance.

Originally developed by the Swiss psychologist Carl Gustav Jung who was responsible for passing the spiritual solution on to Rowland Hazard who passed it on to Ebby Thatcher who passed it on to Bill Wilson Who passed it on to Robert Smith who passed it on to...

jamdls · 07-06-2009, 01:46 PM

That's wonderful Freya! We never know how the little things we do might turn out to help someone.

07-04-2009, 02:22 PM	#1 (permalink)
freya ...all this, and brains, too! Join Date: May 2004 Location: Rochester, NY Posts: 1,143	One of Those "God Things" Last night I went to my partner's HG meeting with her. It's a gay/gay-friendly meeting. Anyways, there was this guy (straight guy) there, with whom I used to work and whom I have not seen since I left that job more than 13 years ago. I had gotten divorced the year before I left that job, and when my ex-husband left, he had left behind several of these penguin items that I and/or our sons had given him -- because we had 2 little boys and I just really loved the fatherhood imagery associated with the Emperor Penguins. Well, this young guy at work and his wife had just had their first baby at that time, and he was all about this baby and parenting and fatherhood, and I was so impressed with how into it all he was and how seriously he was taking it, so I brought one of the little penguin statues up to school, explained to him what it meant to me & why I was trying to get rid of it, and asked him if he wanted it. He did. Like I said, that was, like, 14 years ago. Anyways, yesterday, he shows up at this meeting, and he recognizes me. (I would not have recognized him.) And he is very excited to see me. So we started talking and he tells me that he got sober about a year ago....and that one of the things that really "inspired" him to do it was that little statue! He said that he has always kept it on his desk at school. His wife had left him in 2003 and that's when his drinking really started to get out-of-control. Finally, one day last year, he was in his office thinking about how terrible his life was and how miserable he was, and he happened to look at that statue and remember the kind of father he had wanted to be...compared to the kind of father he was turning out to be. He said it made him sick with himself. So, the next day he went to his first AA meeting, and he's been sober ever since!!!! Wow...that is just so cool...and I'm so grateful that HP "arranged" to let me know about it! freya __________________ I never did give anybody hell; I just told the truth and they thought it was hell. -- Harry S. Truman

07-04-2009, 02:30 PM	#2 (permalink)
Ann Sharing Our Light Glop 2:Glops Revenge Champion! Ray Ray Shuffle Champion! Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: By The Lake Posts: 18,159	They say that coincidence is God's way of remaining anonymous. I love your story and hearing about another one who got clean. That's one powerful little penguin just doing his job. __________________ Somewhere between the gator swamp and the Taj Mahal there is a path, it may be hidden, overgrown or may blend in with the other surroundings, but it is there, it's your path and it is calling you.~Frankly~

07-05-2009, 01:51 AM	#3 (permalink)
*indigo* Community Greeter Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Mid-Life Express Posts: 9,919	How wonderful Freya. __________________ When you judge others, you do not define them, you define yourself." Namasté

07-06-2009, 01:27 PM	#4 (permalink)
Boleo boleon Join Date: May 2008 Location: Detroit, MI Posts: 934	Synchronicity is the experience of two or more events which are causally unrelated occurring together in a meaningful manner. In order to count as synchronicity, the events should be unlikely to occur together by chance. Originally developed by the Swiss psychologist Carl Gustav Jung who was responsible for passing the spiritual solution on to Rowland Hazard who passed it on to Ebby Thatcher who passed it on to Bill Wilson Who passed it on to Robert Smith who passed it on to... __________________ True sobriety rides on the coat-tails of Serenity (H + B = S) - All Big Book quotes are from first Edition -

07-06-2009, 01:46 PM	#5 (permalink)
jamdls Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Dallas, Tx Posts: 796	That's wonderful Freya! We never know how the little things we do might turn out to help someone. __________________ ~~~Judy~~~ First day of my beautiful life 9/1/07 "...Suffering produces persevance; perseverance character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint.." Romans 5:3 "With God all things are possible"

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