Originally Posted by
DayTrader 
You can get a 10 year coin if you want one.
You can drink today and get a 20 year chip if you tell em you deserve one.
For me, I try to remember that warning in "How it Works" that reminds me success in the AA program involves honesty. We all have our own perceptions of what honesty means to us and I'm not God so I can't tell you what honesty means to you and how it applies in this situation.
Considering you're in AA then I'd advise you to do what we do.......apply the principles of the steps to our reality, to the situations in life that come up, and seek the truth with the help and guidance of the HP of our choosing. So, along those lines, I try to identify if I'm trying to manage something.....if I'm trying to impress MY WILL upon a situation or whether I'm accepting my true place and roll and trusting God. Am I doing what I WANT or what the God of my understanding wants? Am I seeking out a better relationship with this HP who's help I need so much and, as a thank-you, am I trying to live my life as He would want me to?
CAN you? sure. SHOULD you? - thats up to you, your conscience, your sponsor, and your HP to sort out. I marked YES because you can..... should you....that's the question......and it's tough questions like that I've found the best answers to in prayer.
I agree here. The choice is ultimately yours....but you are asking, so apparently there is some conflict going on. And guilt. If not getting that chip means that you are forever going to feel like this year of alcohol sobriety is going to be taken from you, then take the chip. But alcohol is a drug too. And drugs are of course drugs. Would I take the chip? I don't know. I do know this: all of this is a process. If I ever slip up, which I hope I do not EVER, then I will still think of March 26, 2012 as my sober date, but will think of that relapse date also....just as I still consider it a huge accomplishment that I went from january 5, 2010 to Thanksgiving Day 2010 without a drink...the difference for me is I CONTINUED to drink from Thanksgiving 2010 up until 12 days ago.......but if I had only slipped once, I don't know I would have the strength in my heart to go back to Day 1 and start all over......But, as this wise soul above said, it is truly up to you. If it causes immense psychic conflict that your "whole year" of sobriety from alcohol was ruined by just one slip-up, then the ultimate decision is yours. A date only has the meaning we attach to it....and must live with whatever attachments we have associated with it....but be careful not to just be ruled by dates alone....in the big scheme of things you have accomplished A LOT in a year to have only had one slip up and not to have had a drink at all..........I guess what I am saying is: What does the slip-up
really mean to you? It is obviously very important in some way or it would not be weighing heavily on your conscience.