"With the love that I am shown in The rooms and here, I have no excuse for loneliness."
Addiction is a lonely disease. We may be surrounded by people but, sooner or later, our addiction drives a wedge between us and even our closest loved ones. Many of us are driven to AA or NA by a desperate loneliness.
Though we may approach the rooms of AA and NA with caution and suspicion, we are welcomed with a hug, a smile, and a warm "keep coming back." This may be the first place where we have felt welcome in a long, long while. We watch other members talking and laughing, leaving the meeting in groups for more talk at the local coffee shop. We wonder if we, too, could become a part of this loving bunch.
Our pattern of isolation can make it difficult for us to join in. Over time, however, we begin to feel "a part of" rather than "apart from." Soon, when we walk into the rooms or in zoom meetings, we feel at home. We begin to make friends and our lives start to change.
NA and AA teaches us how to overcome our isolation. Through our first tentative friendships formed in our home group, we start to find that making friends isn't hard. A sense of belonging comes when we share ourselves with others.
Just for Today: I am thankful for the friendships my Higher Power has given me in NA and AA. Because of them, I am lonely no more.
