We are grateful that we were made so welcome at meetings that we felt comfortable.
Basic Text, p. 83
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Remember how scared we were when we walked into our first NA meeting? Even if we walked in with a friend, most of us recall how difficult it was to attend that first meeting. What was it that kept us coming back? Most of us have grateful memories of the welcome we were given and how comfortable that made us feel. When we raised our hand as a newcomer, we opened the door for other members to approach us and welcome us.
Sometimes the difference between those addicts who walk back out the door of their first meeting, never to return to NA, and the addicts who stay to seek recovery is the simple hug of an NA member. When we have been clean awhile, it's easy to step back from the procession of newcomers--after all, weve seen so many people come and go. But members with some clean time can make the difference between the addict who doesnt return and the addict who keeps coming back. By offering our phone numbers, a hug, or just a warm welcome, we extend the hand of Narcotics Anonymous to the addict who still suffers.
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Just for today: I remember the welcome I was given when I first came to NA. Today, I will express my gratitude by offering a hug to a newcomer.
In my first NA meeting I tried to leave after 20 minutes of an hour long meeting. The man who came out a asked me to come back in became my sponsor. He took me to 90 meetings in 90 days, the idea of NA took hold for which I am grateful to all those who helped me and made me feel welcome .
