Practical experience shows that nothing will so much insure immunity from drinking as intensive work with other alcoholics. Alcoholics Anonymous Page 89
Sponsorship held two surprises for me. First, that my sponsees cared about me. What I had thought was gratitude was more like love. they wanted me to be happy, to grow and remain sober. Knowing how they felt kept me from drinking more than once. Second, I discovered that I was able to love someone else responsibly, with respectful and genuine concern for that person’s growth. Before that time, I had thought that my ability to care sincerely about another’s well – being had atrophied from lack of use. To learn that I can love, without greed or anxiety, has been one of the deepest gifts the program has given me. Gratitude for that gift has kept me sober many times.
LOVE WITHOUT STRINGS
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makes me grateful for my sponsees…all of them…even the ones I dont see anymore. they gave me an opportunity to grow in this program and stay sober. My best days are the ones I am actively woking with someone else, trying to help them stay sober! I am a grateful, recovered alcoholic named Mike
The first time I felt Freedom was when working with another alcoholic. I noticed as we were reading the book and talking about both of our experience with the physical craving, that there was a strange silence and it wasn’t us, it was the silence in my head. I have had it many times since and every time I think I am in too much pain or life is too overwhelming to work with someone, i remember that day and say yes.