Hi everyone, I'm Dan an addict. I wanted to share some gratitude with you all today. Last night I went to my sponsors home group. It was the night they had chosen to have a celebration for homegroup members who had recovery birthdays in September, my sponsor included. We sat together and enjoyed the meeting, then at the end, celebrants were awarded their respective medallions. I looked around for my sponsors' sponsor, and realized he works out of town Monday thru Friday and wouldn't be able to attend. I asked who was presenting his medallion and he said no one, so I asked if I could do it. WOW, what an honor! One of my favorite parts of recovery is to give a sponsee their medallion, but to be allowed to present my sponsor HIS? It was just awesome!
I came to NA in 2001 and didn't stay clean, but I have had only one sponsor in all that time. He patiently waited for me to "hit bottom" and every time I could find the honesty to admit that I had used again, he would always say, "Ok, here's what WE'RE gonna do now..." It was always "WE" and that helped me so much to not feel so alone. He introduced me to the "WE" of the program.
"We Do Recover" says that "We don't have to understand this program for it to work for us, all we have to do is follow direction." Then after we learn to stay clean, we DO come to our own understanding of the program. The First Tradition says that we "follow this way of life by example, not by direction." My sponsor sets a great example by living the Program and being an honorable man. He sets a high standard and I aspire to live up to it with my own guys. It's an honor to follow in his footsteps.
Sponsorship is a very important part of his recovery. The book says that "Those who get the most out of the Narcotics Anonymous program are those to whom sponsorship is important." And he lives by this. For anyone new to NA, get a sponsor, USE that sponsor, then when you are ready, BE a sponsor. This way you will get all the program has to offer.
The medallions we earn for multiple years of clean time are just tokens. Just a shiny bit of metal, really. But the clean time they represent and the recovery they celebrate are truly the genuine article! It was truly an honor and a priviledge to present my sponsor his 11 year medallion. Because of him, I'll keep coming back.
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"With a sweet tongue of kindness, you can drag an elephant by a hair." ~Persian Proverb
Thank you so much for your words of wisdom. I would loved to be one of the lucky ones who made it the first time around. Unfortunately god had a different plan for me( or I thought I had the plan) whichever is the case. That must be an amazing gift to be able to present your sponsor with his medallion, I would be extremely gratefull for that opportunity. Thanks once again for sharing your wisdom. Today I am a gratefull recovering addict my name happens to be Dave M
Hey Dan, cool story. I've had my current sponsor for 7 years (or he's had me) and his anniversary is the same day as mine minus a year. I asked him to sponsor me because his program was stronger than mine and he is more active than I am. He's a half a dozen years older and has been a parent longer. For the last 5 years we've celebrated at the same meeting and presented each others medallions. He usually has a sponsee that he presents, then I present his, then he presents mine so there is a chain of recovery that's visable. This program works if you work it.
The meeting i went to last nite was full of the 12th Step. Carying the message and me practicing these Principles in all my affairs. Then thers the part that says "to the addict who still suffers" Most will think that the using addict is the one thats suffering,,,but me,,Ive suffered many timeS THOUGH CLEAN. Thats because I lost my serenity for some reason or other and had to be given a message of recovery from anger,hate,resentment. Thats why its said that all are equeal in recovery,,we never know which of us,,tho clean need to hear the message real fast. Im really greatful we have the Steps,,it is a complete plan fpr the rest of my life,,beggining just for today,,clean and serene !
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Raman an addict clean and serene just for today in NA Worldwide ; live to love and love to live the NA Way !!!
Im really greatful we have the Steps,,it is a complete plan fpr the rest of my life,,beggining just for today,,clean and serene
I to am gratful for the steps when i first came to the rooms i struggled with the steps only wanted to work the ones that i thought applied to me...At the beginnig i wasn`t going to give up power and like hell was i going to make an amends which led me to relapse...when i returned more broken that ever my sponsor looked at me and told me Keri the elevator is broken it is about time you take the steps!!!!!
