8/4/04

[bubblze30]

Today's thought is:

He who has a thousand friends has not a friend to spare. --Ai Ibn-Abu-Talib

When we entered recovery, we had buddies we drank or used with and people we hung out with, but often no one we could really call a friend. For a long time, we hadn't been "friend material." Too poor in body, mind, and spirit to be generous, we weren't even a friend to ourselves; how could we be a friend to someone else? Finally, we just gave up on having friends. Our attitude became, "Who needs them anyway?"

Then we began to recover and one day realized we had friends. Good friends. Friends worth loving. And the most amazing thing of all; they loved us too. We could have a friend. We could be a friend. No longer unreliable and ungenerous, we could give of ourselves. No longer needing to buy another's love, we can accept love from others. No longer suspicious about other people's motives, we can accept friendship.

In learning to love ourselves and others, we began to accept that other people could love us, too. Now we can trust ourselves to be good to our friends. With a growing circle of people to choose from, we can risk being ourselves. Knowing that whatever happens, we can handle it. What a wonderful feeling of security and confidence we have now that we've found friends.

Today help me appreciate my friends, and help me be a good friend to others.

[bubblze30]

Now in my third year of recovery I am learning to be a friend and to accept recovering and non addicted friends into my life. I was active for so much of my life, I did not know what it was to be or to recieve frienship. Now I see and talk with women I can call friends and its ok. I was hesitant on making friends early in recovery for fear I am guessing. Every one I ever knew used something. So I do notice now that I don't pick out the addicts as friends but people like myself or non addicts at all. I am learning to accept them as my friends and knock the wall down that has been up for so long. I had fear of being used, or being sucked in to the addiction again. However this is not the case. I have been meeting some really nice people on and off line that I can truely call friend.

[wastedtime4me]

I cant wait till the day when i can write a post like this bubblze..you know i call you my friend and sincerely mean it!!! I am referring to offline ...I am very untrusting and will be very happy when the day comes i make better choices..Another great post..thank you friend{{{{{{{{{bighugs}}}}}}}}