ISOLATION
March 24, from “Strengthening My Recovery” daily reader
“We learn that we cannot recover alone or in isolation.” BRB p.516
“We recover together, sharing the risk of sharing our stories. We risk rejection. We risk humiliation. We risk being afraid that our words won’t make sense. We risk crying. We risk being angry. We risk healing.
When we witness one another’s pain and shame, those feelings lose their power over us. We break the chains that kept us dispirited, disempowered, disenfranchised, and isolated. Our group carries the collective grief that must no longer be borne alone.
When our loss is brought to the meetings or to the telephone, we no longer cower in silence. We begin to grow wings. We create room in our hearts for hope and trust. We find our power, our center, and our compass. We create space for love, joy, peace, serenity, and our True Selves. We find our Higher Power. We embrace our fellow travelers. We stand shoulder to shoulder, heart to heart, spirit to spirit, and bow our heads in gratitude to a Higher Power for giving us this program. We honor our courage to give the gift of recovery to ourselves.
On this day I choose to co-create a healing sanctuary in my group, which gathers its strength from a power greater than our individual selves.”
My Experience:
How true this is. When we tell our stories we are risking all that is mentioned above. The greatest risk though, is the risk of healing. What if I attended a meeting and found myself amongst those that shared a similar past and understood me. What if I shared my story and because those that I shared with understood, it caused the pain of my past to be lessened. What if I wept during the meetings and found that the pain from my past was what was rolling down my cheeks. What if I displayed my usual anger but instead of fear from others it was met with compassion and love and you knew they completely understood. What if I did all this and suddenly realized that I am now on a healing journey that is so far from where I started that I cannot go back now! Then I realized that it is no longer, “what if”, it is now, “what is!!” This is my story (bong, bong (using the Law and Order voice and tune))!!
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