my daily reflections…

when i take the responsibility i have toward recovery to heart, i get to help people every day. and its not just with alcoholism; its helpin them to be a better person, worker, parent, father, mother, whatever it is that im helpin them with. my sponsor told me, early in my recovery, that when i was goin to beatin myself up or was feelin fucked up inside to go work with another in recovery. he suggested buildin relationships with others so that i could form bonds and create partners in recovery, maybe by readin a page or two out of the big book with another and talkin about what we read. he also suggested that i do service work in what ev fashion as possible; that it didnt even need to be for someone in recovery, it could be anybody, the point was that i got out of self and helped another. for me today, this is the essence of my spiritual growth, when i go out into the world and interact with others usin what i glean from my spiritual meditations each mornin. i dont always do it perfectly, i am no saint, but i do make an effort to give when i can, even when i dont feel like doin it. in many instances im really dealin with fellow sufferers, people whose woes have increased. if im askin forgiveness for myself, why shouldnt i start out by forgivin others, one and all? recovery has taught me that tolerance, understandin, fairness, and forgiveness is givin up on the hope that the past will change. today i get to offer hope to the hopeless. 1 day @ a time...