Time2Surrender

Its like looking in a mirror. He is a spitting image of me. Words cant express the joy and gratitude I feel today. I went 6 years without so much as seeing a photo or knowing anything about him at all. I didnt know if I would ever see or know him. That was very hard. I turned it all over to GOD and out of the blue his Mother contacted me the other day. My whole life changed at that moment. I never imaged getting so excited about a trip to the Zoo, but Wednesday I take my son. Thats the good stuff for sure

Redmayne

An awe inspiring account of oine man's journey into sobriety, wonderful! I remember mine, obviously we all travel different paths looking for the same outcome, lasting sobriety.

For myself I always remember that the name of our disease/illness is alcohol-ISM, the alcohol is just a symptom, it's the -ISM's, otherwise known as 'life' that have to be dealt with on a daily basis if my serenity is to be maintained on a daily basis.

I keep my copy of ,'the Big Book', close by, and pay special attention to the words on page 275, 4th Ed., in the story called,'The Keys to the Kingdom' that starts with,' A.A. is not aplan for recovery thatcan be finished and done with.'

I need to both remember that andthe fact that , even though I'm no longer drinking, I'm an alcoholic!

Thank you for your post and may the god of your understanding go with you and yours.

CarolD

I'm so pleased for both of you T-2

CincyShine

Thanks for your story Mike.
I REALLY enjoyed reading it. Congratulations!

Redmayne

Just prior to my sobriety commencing and still today I developed an interest in fundemental Buddhist principles, one aspect of which refers tothe 'realms of the spirit' of which there are 10, the highest of which is ' a buddha', or togain 'full enlightenment, let's not go there , the second is to be ' a human being', if you really think about that and all that it involves, acting with compassion, patience and tolerance to others, on a daily basis, to name but a few it ain't that easy!

So, we who have been gived the 'gift'!!! of being recovering alcoholics, can be seen as very 'special' people,for we know onlytowell from our past sufferings that on a daily basis we have to not only try to makespiritual progress but practice these things on a daily basis, nothing less will do, otherwise we die!

Add to this the fact that it is widely accepted that those people who can be regarded as the most spiritual, something that cannot be taught, only learned by 'experiential learning' often are those who've experienced the most suffering.

But as alcoholics we know only to well our frailities, on a positive note, that knowledge and the experiential learning that accompanied it, is our strength,to assist us to rise above our fraility and go some way to becoming a 'human being'.

greste21

I would like to thank you for posting your story. I applaud your courage in speaking your mind and your story. I am currently facing trials of my own regarding alcohol and its really a hard fight. The truth is I am scared to tell my story to others because i fear ridicule and shame. that's why I looked for forums so I can share my story without showing my face. anyways someday when i'm all sober up I'll tell my story too. =)

Hollyanne

Ah, will you look at those big blue eyes that you wondered about?
You are an inspiration. And he is so lucky to have a sober dad. Good on his mother for waiting for you to "straighten up and fly right!"

Redmayne

This thread touched me, particularly the line ,' I am scared to tell my story to others because i fear ridicule and shame', the one thing common to the illness/disease of alcohol ISM, is that, especially in recovery ,'we're all in this together' to use a phrase currently popular in political circles in the UK, applied to efforts to reduce the national debt.

One of the primary things, evident on this site and in the Fellowship of A.A. is IDENTIFICATION! As drinking alcoholics we all felt, fear, guilt, low self esteem , etc., etc.,'that great loneliness that dwells in the heart of every alcoholic' I think the 'Big Book' says.

So how doyou beat that fear, guilt, loneliness, you look at the posts on this site on the excellent and various forums and you go to A.A. meetings and I guarantee that one day you will either read or hear someone telling your story, and think ,'hey! that happend to me!' and then you are no longer alone and all that fear of ridicule and shame willo go, because you realise, what happened to you, happened to many other people, just like you.

I canalso guarantee that if you told your story on the appropriate forum, you probably find someone else with a story a lot worse than yours.

I can say these things with complete confidence, because I know, like many other people ,'we're all in this together', the 12 suggested steps are there for all of us, not just a select few albeit in one sense it is a 'selfish' programme aimed at the individual, this is, as its title suggests, a Community, and a good one!

Zebra1275

Great story, thanks for posting it!