District 5’s Gratitude List

Gratitute Day 2015 was well-attended. Chuck G gave a great share, and has agreed to have his written share be posted here! Click this link to read it!  (Thank you, Chuck!)

Today I’m grateful to hold onto the fact that spring WILL arrive. Not on MY time table, but it WILL arrive! Until then, I’m taking it one cold day at a time!  Create a BeYou tiful day!!  ODAT  (2/10/15)

I just want to say Thank You for the grief information you have on your website. My first husband died suddenly 8 days ago. The information on your website is just what I needed to read this morning. I’m very grateful for Al-Anon right now and needed to read the information you have to get me through the morning. I really appreciate the literature information. I know about the Opening Our Hearts book but just can’t bring myself to open it right now. I think I might be able to handle the daily readers so will look up those writings.  I stopped looking for grief information about my ex and finally started looking for it about the alcoholic. Your site is the first I came to. I just had to tell you how much peace it gave me this morning. Thank you so much. ~ Peggy, January 2015

It’s Christmas, the time of year, the state of mind, the space and time that calls up disappointment and hope at the same time. I have enough that I have lost that I could sink into dark deep sadness over parents that are gone- died- or mistakes I have made…..but if I really open my eyes I have so much to be grateful for. 

My daughter just moved to London, she is bright, beautiful and moving in with her boyfriend after two years of commuter love. I could be sad for my loss of her close by, and I am, but oh so happy for her. She is finally where she wants to be. Happiness can really be a choice.  If I allow myself to see/feel the love around me, from my children and my husband, I can see the brightness and hope of Christmas. So many times in my life I did not love myself enough to love anyone, or feel love from anyone. Thanks to this incredible program I have learned to believe I am good enough, or simply enough. It is a choice I make, to find the good, to be present to the love all around me, to let go of the past and all its loss and disappointment.

My life is far from perfect, but it is a work in progress, that - thanks to Al-Anon - is moving ever higher and wider and deeper into recovery from the effects of alcoholism in my life. 

Gratitude is not easy, it is actually pretty hard work. It is a choice I have to make every day and sometimes every minute. This disease of recovering from the effects of alcoholism is terminal, if I allow it to be.  

Gratitude is the cure for the awful darkness that alcoholism brings. How lucky I am that this cure is something that is freely available in my heart, I just have to look for it.  ~ Jessica F.  (12/22/14)

I am very grateful to be a member of Al-Anon and to hear others’ experience, strength, and hope.  I am grateful for my wonderful sponsor who has helped me out several times by sharing her experience with me and helping me to better understand the program.  I am grateful for the steps and for the Serenity Prayer, which I try to use on a daily basis.  I am grateful to have greater acceptance for my family and to have the understanding that they are doing the best they can.  I am grateful for my wonderful boyfriend and for his recovery.  I am grateful for the gifts of the program and to be able to continuously grow and change, being more of the person who I want to be as more time passes. ~A.B., Ann Arbor, MI (posted 06/14/12)

When I first came to Al-Anon, I was frightened all the time, sad all the time and hopeless that anything could ever get better. My husband is addicted to alcohol and drugs and our home had become an environment of chaos, fear, shame and occasionally violence. Al-Anon gave me the confidence and courage to change the things I can change while accepting that my husband's addiction was one of the things I could not change. I have separated from my husband and today I am raising my children in a safe, stable and loving home.  I wish their father could be part of our home but I have accepted that for now and unless he some day accepts recovery that can not be. I am grateful that although I still feel scared or sad at times, fear doesn't occupy every waking moment and I have hope for myself, my children, and my husband. I am grateful for the love and acceptance and practical solutions I have found in Al-Anon. ~ Anonymous   (posted 11/29/09)

How can I thank thee, Al-Anon?  Let me try to count the ways:  meetings with others seeking recovery, phone lists, Fellowship, Conference Approved Literature, Slogans, Serenity Prayer, Gratitude Days, Assemblies, Conferences, Workshops, studying the Steps, Traditions, Concepts, the Forum “meeting in my pocket” magazine, Sponsors, Service, Sharing of Experience, Strength and Hope.  So, I came up with a few just in a short few minutes of thinking.  Can you? ~ Maggie S. (posted 04/17/09)

I am grateful that today I can love my son and hate his disease and mostly not get the two mixed up.  I am grateful that I can forgive my son when his behaviors cause hurt to others but even more hurt to himself.  I am grateful that I can mostly forgive myself for the mistakes I made when my son's addiction became manifested.  I am grateful to be able to welcome my son into our home when he is able to be with us and respect our limits, and tell him it is time to leave when he steps outside of our limits.  I am grateful to be able to have hope that some time my son may embrace recovery, without having to have an expectation that it will happen.   I am grateful to have hope that his moment of clarity and moment of grace may come, and know that I am not responsible for bringing it to him or for whether or not he accepts it.  I am grateful that there are people who can help my son when I am not able to, if and when he may choose some day to accept their help. I too am grateful to be grateful, because there was a time when I had no hope, no gratitude and lived in constant fear. I am grateful to the helping professionals who steered me towards Al-Anon, and grateful that Al-Anon is there for me.  ~ Anonymous.  (posted 12/11/08)

Hi everyone, My name is Barb S. and I am a grateful member of Al-Anon.  Gratitude - I love this topic!!! When I first came through the doors of Al-Anon I did not know what to expect.  I surely did not think I would stay around for long or that it would completely change my life.  Thankfully today I am not the same person that walked into a meeting so many years ago. I have been through many things since coming into Al-Anon.  I have been through a bitter divorce, death of a son and recently the loss of a 14 year job.  All these things could have completely thrown me over the edge but because of my faith in HP, my wonderful supportive family and Al-Anon I am able to continue to go on. My goal in life is to be happy, joyous and free.  I want to have a peaceful existence with myself and the world I live in.  I can achieve these things by focusing on myself and going to meetings. I attend 1 to 2 meetings a week.  When things are rough I go to more.  I have heard that someone entering AA is told to go to 90 meetings in 90 days.  I think that prescription is also good for us in Al-Anon.  When I attend meetings it gives me clarity.  I have found that sitting at home and stewing about a problem does not work.  When I go to a meeting and talk about what is going on it loses its power to dominate my thoughts.  I am so very grateful to Al-Anon for the tools that I have been given.  I also am grateful for all the hugs and smiles I get from my Al-Anon friends.  The support I get in Al-Anon is priceless.  Thanks for listening, ~ Barb (posted 11/26/08)

I am grateful for my health, for my mind, for my spirit.  I am grateful for emotions whether they are comfortable or not.  I am grateful for the love of my family and friends—especially those in the program.  I have had the courage to reach out, stay positive, set boundaries, be authentic and respond with compassion because I find experience, strength and hope in Al-Anon.  My faith in the God of my understanding, the Universe, Spirit, Creator, Higher Power, Source, whatever/however you want to name It has grown and blossomed.  I am OK.  All is well.  Life is good.  It’s all good.  Everything will be all right.  I surrender.  Be happy.  I choose joy. ~ Patty (posted 11/22/08)

My Higher Power and the Al-Anon program: I am grateful to have a Higher Power and for the program process I have learned to trust.  I do not have to wallow in my misery as it is one in a long menu of choices when I have a difficult challenge.  I can choose to read the literature, call my sponsor, go to a meeting, pray and meditate, go for a walk, work out at the gym, play with the dogs.  The list is endless.  AND the program works, steps, slogans, even making a regular gratitude list to be reminded of the blessings that have been bestowed upon me and my family.  God is good! ~ ANONYMOUS!!! (posted 11/19/08)

A.A. and Al-Anon, and family and friends: I am very grateful for A.A. and Al-Anon.  If the Higher Power had not given us these programs, I would no long have a marriage or a life.  My husband works his program in A.A. and I work mine in Al-Anon.  We now have been married 50 years and we have received many blessings from these programs.  I am grateful for my family and also for my many friends in Al-Anon.  The Al-Anon program has saved my life many times and helped me with work problems, grandchildren not in recovery and other personal relationships.  Thank you for letting me share!!  ~ Hugs, Mary Lou. (posted 11/02/08)

So much to put down. I shall begin. I shall not finish, because living life is an ongoing experience, lesson.

I'm grateful to be alive, to live each day as it unfolds.

I'm grateful for a Higher Power, whom I chose to call God.

I'm grateful for the fellowship of Al-Anon. Thanks to the founders of A.A. and Al-Anon for my life today.

I'm grateful that I can live each day according to the suggested Steps, Traditions, and Concepts of Al-Anon. Is it difficult? YES! Can I do it perfectly? NO WAY! I am a human being who shall make mistakes and God forgives me.

I could go on and on. Suffice it to put it down on paper for now.

Keep coming back to the meetings. It's worth it because YOU are worth it.

Peace. ~ Kathy S. (posted 01/21/08)

When my son's drug and alcohol addiction began to consume him, I became consumed with trying to help him get better. I was terrified he would die, and so did everything I could think of to try to get him to stop drinking and using drugs, and to protect him meanwhile. When my son finally accepted help at a local treatment center, I was forced to sit back and let others help him. I am grateful to Al-Anon for helping me to let go so he could get the help he needed.   I am grateful to have my son back, and I will be forever grateful to Dawn Farm and A.A. for helping my son get well. I am grateful every day for how Al-Anon helps me to learn, change and grow. ~ Jen. (posted 09/15/07)

An Attitude of Gratitude. I remember the first time I used this term when conversing with my Mom early in my recovery. She seemed surprised, as I rarely expressed anything other than negativity pre-program. And I was surprised, too, because I remembered wondering when I began my journey of recovery if I would EVER learn the “jargon.” It was like a foreign language to me - all the talk of Steps & Slogans & Traditions, Oh, my!! I think that the term “spirituality” was a big motivator for my new Attitude of Gratitude. I am forever grateful that this miraculous program lead me to the God of MY understanding, and that this new-found HP of mine continues to guide me and prompt me to work this program so I can continue, one day at a time,  to practice the Al-Anon principles in all my affairs.  After my Mom passed away, we came across a notebook that I believe she started after we had that conversation about gratitude. She was not in a program of recovery, but she began to list 3 things a day that she was grateful for!  I don't write in my gratitude book as faithfully as I could, yet when I do pick it up  - and if I'm not in an especially serene a spot as I'd like to be, writing in my gratitude journal always gives me some inner peace.  And I like to think that my Mom experienced some of that, too. Thank YOU for being here! Create a BEYOU tiful day!!  ODAT      xooxxooxox   ~  Diane B. (posted 09/09/07)

Grateful to be grateful: The first time I heard my sponsor use this phrase in suggesting that I write a “gratitude list” I didn’t expect much to come from it. I felt I was always a mostly grateful person, most of the time, even when times were challenging, but I was willing to try out what was suggested because I could see that others seemed to benefit from these actions.  Surprise, surprise – I found that making the list helped make me more consciously aware of things I am grateful for – and grateful for more things – and resentful of way fewer things. Today, I’m grateful to be more consciously in contact with what I am grateful for – grateful for my sponsor’s advice - and “grateful to be grateful!” ~ Anonymous. (posted 09/08/07)

I have so much to be grateful for.  Al-Anon has saved my life many times.  I made a major job change 17 years ago and I have been blessed because of this decision.  I would not have been able to do this without the "Higher Power," the Al-Anon program and many supportive Al-Anon friends. My husband found recovery 22 years ago.  Thanks to Al-Anon and AA we will celebrate 50 years of marriage in 2008.  This would not have been possible without both programs. I continue to work the program "One Day at a Time”. Thank you for listening!!  Lots of Hugs, ~ Mary Lou. (posted 09/03/07)

Your “gratitude” share can be added – please consider adding to our Gratitude List! Latest shares go on the top!