Our personal stories may vary in individual pattern, but in the end we all have the same thing in common. We're allergic to alcohol.
We alcoholics are a varied bunch, coming from different backgrounds, having consumed different amounts of alcohol, and recalling different experiences. Our differences don't disappear in recovery; for some, those differences become even more pronounced. Freedom from active alcoholism gives us the freedom to be ourselves, as we truly are. The fact that we are all recovering doesn't mean that we all necessarily have the same needs or goals. Each of us has our own lessons to learn in recovery.
With so many differences from one alcoholic to the next, how do we help one another in recovery and how do we use each other's experience? We come together to share our lives in light of the principles of recovery. Though our lives are different, the spiritual principles we apply are the same. It is by the light of these principles, shining through our differences, that we illuminate one another's way on our individual paths.
We all have two things in common: alcoholism and recovery. When we listen carefully, we hear others tell of suffering from the same disease we have suffered from, regardless of their specific backgrounds. When we open our ears, we hear other alcoholics talk of applying spiritual principles that promise hope to us as well, regardless of our personal goals.
Just for Today: I will have my own path to follow, yet I'm grateful for the fellowship of others who've suffered from alcoholism and who are learning to apply the principles of recovery, just like me.