Good morning Absville!!! (You couldn't hear that but I said it just like Robin Williams in Good Morning VietNam! God bless him, a fellow recovering addict/alcoholic and a wonderfully intelligent man.)
We've gone through a tumultuous week here in Absville, so I wondered for a while how to start today's thread. I definitely wanted it to be upbeat. I think we all need to focus on something positive just to get some good vibes going strong. So in honor of our Canadian friends, I've chosen "Thanksgiving" as the topic of the day.
We have all suffered the ravages of alcohol abuse in our lives and the feelings that come along with it -- otherwise we probably would not be here. A big part of recovery is learning to find joy in living again. It's seeing light instead of darkness. It is seeing life in color instead of black & white. It is seeing hope instead of despair. It's too easy to focus on what we don't have and get depressed. But no matter how we might feel, we always feel better if we concentrate on what it is that we are thankful for. So what is it today that you are thankful for?
The truth is that I have so much to be thankful for that I have no room for any complaints AT ALL. You see, I am so richly blessed that I can't even count all my blessings. When I drink, I tend to forget that because I'm either too drunk or too hung over to realize it. Now that I'm sober, I'm beginning to see things in color again. I'm beginning to feel some real joy -- not the fake joy that comes in a bottle and turns into despair a little while later, but the real thing. I'm beginning to see the light.
So I ask again, what are you thankful for, this (Canadian) Thanksgiving?
We've gone through a tumultuous week here in Absville, so I wondered for a while how to start today's thread. I definitely wanted it to be upbeat. I think we all need to focus on something positive just to get some good vibes going strong. So in honor of our Canadian friends, I've chosen "Thanksgiving" as the topic of the day.
We have all suffered the ravages of alcohol abuse in our lives and the feelings that come along with it -- otherwise we probably would not be here. A big part of recovery is learning to find joy in living again. It's seeing light instead of darkness. It is seeing life in color instead of black & white. It is seeing hope instead of despair. It's too easy to focus on what we don't have and get depressed. But no matter how we might feel, we always feel better if we concentrate on what it is that we are thankful for. So what is it today that you are thankful for?
- I am thankful that I was referred to a doctor who knew about this program. Otherwise I might still be out there spinning my wheels, "working" programs that don't work for me.
- I am thankful that I didn't drink myself to death before I "got it"
- I am thankful that there is a community of loving people here who understand and support me on this journey
- I am thankful that we can have discussions here about difficult topics, that we can agree and disagree, and remain civil and stay friends
- I am thankful that I have access to the health care that I needI am thankful for the love and support of my family and friendsI am thankful for my life, my health, and my capacity to learn and growI am thankful for every day soberI am thankful that I have a good job, a roof over my head, and no worries about where my next meal is coming fromI am thankful for ice cream and peanut butter!!!
The truth is that I have so much to be thankful for that I have no room for any complaints AT ALL. You see, I am so richly blessed that I can't even count all my blessings. When I drink, I tend to forget that because I'm either too drunk or too hung over to realize it. Now that I'm sober, I'm beginning to see things in color again. I'm beginning to feel some real joy -- not the fake joy that comes in a bottle and turns into despair a little while later, but the real thing. I'm beginning to see the light.
So I ask again, what are you thankful for, this (Canadian) Thanksgiving?
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