acceptance is about ALLOWING the other person to be who they are EXACTLY as they are and no longer trying to change that. it has nothing to do with "letting" them hit bottom.....as if that is a certainty that we can predict.
it is also damn hard to put into action. it is in a sense a "oh i give up!" stance. for example, having nothing to do with a human addict....
wednesday is garbage day. we have three large rolling bins for garbage, recycle and yardwaste.....and a long driveway. the bins need to be rolled up the drive to the street for pickup. our American bulldog goes nuts when we do this.....she barks and snarls and tries to bite the wheels and the bin itself, EVERY time we roll the bins up to be emptied or back down after pick up. we have tried EVERYTHING to get her to STOP doing this. we've tried Ceasar Milan methods; attacking her WITH the bin; using a stern NO, leave it; moving her away from the bin and having her sit and stay; using some type of device to shoo her away from the bin.
NOTHING works. she goes right back to HER chosen behavior. she is now 6 years old.
and so you just give up and have a 125 pound snarling mass of dog chasing behind you as you drag the damn can up the drive. at least she sits on command.......
acceptance is like that. when WE realize we are NOT making a difference or an impact or CHANGING someone else's behaviors. they are who they are and they do what they do. and we are not in charge.
you could relate acceptance to weather......
acceptance means we learn how much we are NOT in charge of or in CONTROL of, or what we cannot CHANGE to suit OUR needs.
it is what is...isn't it? that is what my AA sponsor drilled into my head.