Carlotta

Normally, our group welcomes newcomers in a particular way—we share what Al-Anon has done for us, introduce our literature, and offer a few Al-Anon slogans before getting on with the meeting. No one ever took a group conscience about this procedure, it’s just the way we’ve done it for some time. One evening, the chairperson departed from the usual procedure. I completely forgot why I was at the meeting and spent the rest of the evening worrying about the newcomers. They weren’t hearing what they were supposed to hear! Would they be all right? Would they come back? At the very end of the meeting, one of the newcomers timidly spoke up. I was on the edge of my seat with concern until he said how grateful he was to have heard the words the chairperson spoke, because they were exactly what he needed to hear. Once again I was reminded that God works through our groups to make sure that we all get what we need. I certainly got what I needed that night.