In sobriety we build new connections to ourselves, our families, and our communities. In our meetings we embrace all who have “a desire to stop drinking” to our tables. Healthy groups lower barriers to sobriety by creating inclusive spaces and meetings. Healthy groups broaden their understanding of what recovery means for people with different experiences.

What does it mean to abandon ourselves to God? On page 164 of the book Alcoholics Anonymous we find this explanation.

There was a popular song in the 1960’s entitled “Where have all the flowers gone?” by Pete Seeger. The chorus went:

“Where have all the flowers gone?
Long time passing.
Where have all the flowers gone?
Long time ago.”

Alcoholism is a type of addiction that can affect an individual’s mental and physical health. To avoid further complications, rehabilitation is recommended. However, understanding how to get an alcoholic into rehab can be a confusing process, especially if the affected individual doesn’t acknowledge their addiction. If you or a loved one are looking for recovery options, here is an alcohol rehab guide to help you better understand the process.

Chapter seven of the book, Alcoholics Anonymous, is devoted entirely to working with others. You get a clue from the author of the “Big Book”, how important certain steps are by the amount of space he devotes to them. When the author has devoted an entire chapter to working with others, i.e., Step 12, it must be important.

On March 1st, meteorological spring started. On March 13th at 2 am, we will spring forward. And on March 20th we will experience equal amounts of sunshine and darkness as we usher in the spring equinox. Shakespeare wrote in his play Julius Caesar to, “Beware the Ides of March.” But from this author’s perspective, it looks like spring has finally spung and that’s a good thing.

Bill Wilson, the co-founder of the program Alcoholics Anonymous, achieved sobriety in December of 1934. One day in the spring of 1935 he came home in the middle of the afternoon. Utterly dejected, he turned to his wife Lois and said, “I’ve worked with drunks for the last six months and not a one of them is sober.”

Oft times we see the new year portrayed as a newborn child. Reflect for a moment on the wonder that a newborn instills in all of us. Think about the sense of hope and renewal that stirs within you when you see a newborn babe. Who isn’t moved by the site of a newborn resting peacefully within the arms of its loving parent?

At a conference on recovery not long ago in Chicago, I listened to the speaker talk about making amends.  The crux of her point was that the amend had to be equal to or greater than the offense.  For example, you can’t falsely print on the front page of a newspaper that someone is a cheat and a liar and then print the retraction on page 17.  No, if you’re going to set the scales of restorative justice evenly, the retraction has to go on page one.