Nov 30, 2015

Harold & George

Written 11/30/2013

by Andrea Tadpole

Gratitude Day 30: Wow!! This is the first year I've made it through the whole month of November doing the daily gratitude. So, I was thinking about something today that I'm grateful for. I included this in a post in a group I'm a part of. It's a story about 2 people God blessed me with in my life years ago. Gratitude isn't a big enough word for them. Here goes:

When I got sober I was 23 years old. I was stuck most of the time going to meetings with what I called old farts. You know 50 to 70 year old men who sat around and shot the shit about the old days and tried to one up each other on their war stories. They would tell me that I was too young, that I had not had enough to drink and to get back out there and do some more and come back in a few years. Then maybe I'd be ready to stay sober. They didn't think my bottom was low enough. But they did not understand one thing about me. I was convinced like I am today that if I took another drink I would surely die. I also knew that if I could not find recovery in AA I would commit suicide or relapse and be a walking dead person for many years till alcoholism killed me. AA was the only option I had left.

Just about the time that I was fed up with these old men who mouthed off at me all the time and I was ready to quit AA, God put two angels into my life. One was a big tall white guy named Harold. He was probably in his 60's and he had been through hell and back. He'd been to prison and all kinds of things I could never imagine. The other was a little black man named George. He was about the same age as Harold. He'd never been to prison, owned his own company and worked hard all his life. Harold and George had been friends for many years in the program. For some reason they sat one on each side of me at meetings. They would lean over and whisper in my ear and tell me not to listen to those idiots. That everyone has to hit their own bottom. That just because one person's bottom "looks" lower doesn't mean it is. They told me the only requirement is the desire to stay sober. They said alcoholism is no respector of age, race, gender, social or economic status. The most important thing they told me is no one can take my seat in AA but me. I owe my life and much of my sobriety to these two old men. They are dead now but what I wouldn't give to sit in a meeting with them today.

Nov 21, 2015

Gratitude Day 21

Gratitude Day 21

November 21, 2015

Today I am grateful my husband Andre. He takes good care of me. He does things for me that no one else notices. He is one hell of a good cook...me not so much. He always keeps me from falling into the bah humbug mood during the holidays by insisting on decorating. He has learned to live with my hearing loss and is so sweet and patient with me about it. Every night he holds me. That may seem silly to some people but for me it's the glue that holds me together in this crazy world. He tolerates my weirdness and believe me it takes a special person to do that. I am one blessed woman!!!