Hi Family, I'm Dan, an addict in recovery. Been a while since I posted so I wanted to check in. I was thinking about all those "lost week-ends" today as mine winds down. (I work Saturday thru Wednesday, off Thurs and Fri) I came back to work tonight (3rd shift) and I'm pretty tired but I have a new appreciation for the phrase "It's a good tired, though." I was up at 7:00 AM Friday and picked up a sponsee brother who has been struggling for years to get clean. (struggling is what we call it when we go to meetings but don't surrender) Anyway, he lost another job, has a wife and 3 kids, and just needs some encouragement, I think. He has a hard time reaching out. I know some would say he needs a swift kick in the pants, not kindness, but that's just not who I am today. I am experiencing an awakening of compassion on a deeper level than ever before in my recovery. We spent the morning together and went to a meeting. Afterward he was picked up by his wife and I left with a sponsee to go over step work. Later I took him home and met another sponsee at my house for more assignment work, Then we went to another meeting together. It was a clean time celebration and meets at a treatment center. There were about 100+ addicts in attendance, including my sponsor, and "John" my sponsee brother and his wife. The woman celebrating had 9 yrs clean and after she had talked about his struggle and perseverance and encouraged him to "keep coming back," she presented "John" with her multiple year keytag, with the admonition to return it next year when HE has 1 year clean! After the three speakers was a large pitch in dinner and fellowship. But I wasn't done yet- I secretary for a small Friday night candlelight meeting at 10:00 PM, only 5 or 6 addicts most nights. So I went and set up, the GSR was absent so for 40 minutes or so, I was the only one there. One other member came and he and I did the readings, read the topic and shared to each other. Sweet!! The surprise was that with only about 5 minutes left, an addict came stumbling in (literally) who desperately needed a meeting! So we stayed late to work with him, then took him to coffee. By now it was midnight and I was beat, but on the way home, I realized that not once during the day had I even thought about using. A miracle in itself, huh?
Today, I was up early again to get my car worked on, (tires and brakes) and I squealed like a mashed cat about spending the money, until someone reminded me how much money I used to go through and have NOTHING to show for it!! About noon I gathered a couple of addicts and went to a speaker jam in another city about an hour away and heard some great speakers, had some sweet fellowship, and made some new contacts. I got back home about 6:00 PM and just had time for a nap before work. On the way in tonight I remembered all those weekends I spent stuck in someones basement sitting on a milk crate getting "waffle butt" and going home on Sunday broke and miserable. Thank God I'm not living like that today!! I may be tired and sleepy, but it truly is "a good tired."
Thanks for letting me share.
-- Edited by dan h at 05:42, 2008-11-09
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"With a sweet tongue of kindness, you can drag an elephant by a hair." ~Persian Proverb
Thank you Dan for sharing, glad I read your share above. Made my day. The way your entire day has gone, as shared above, I'd love to have such a day in recovery, and many of them at that
"good tired" is something new that I came upon in your share. Come to think of it, when I've invested all my efforts into my recovery or a project that I'm passionate about, I realize now after reading about "good tired" that I do feel tired and exhausted on those occasions, but there's always a feeling of contentment and joy, of having accomplished something in the day. Yes, that's "good tired" I guess...
Big NA Hugs!
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"If we do an honest examination of exactly what we are giving, we are better able to evaluate the results we are getting."Chapter 10 - Emotional Pain - NA Way of Life.
LOL A good laugh goes well with a good tired. Thanks for sharing Dan
