Thank you for your post. I too have wonderful friends including ones met at open AA meetings, all recovered(ing) Others no longer feel the need to go to AA as they simply lead normal lives.
Some friends shared their alcoholism history after learning about the tragedy with my AW, and I was floored to learn they were once addicts.
People can and do recover all the time. We cannot predict who and when though, we can just hope.
People on this forum are here cause they are going through a difficult time due to a loved one and alcoholism, therefore we expect to read a lot of heartaching stories.
Perhaps there should be a new forum created for dtories of recovery.