Those of us who live in one day at a time recovery understand new beginnings. New beginnings, for most of us, are the endings of severely unmanageable lives. Lives lacking any semblance of reality, or manageability, have slipped away from us. We have found love and belonging in a kinship of spiritual misfits. We found we are not alone and it’s a wonderful awakening. Families, friends, and other advocates have given us a voice. With this voice we don’t claim to be perfect. We know we are no better or no worse than any other people. We know the voice that we now have brings with it the responsibility of caring for ourselves, and each other, to best of our ability. When we are grateful for our new beginnings we understand a life of one day at a time recovery. We now know that change can happen and many of us do so one day at a time. We become healthy in the company of others, and we understand the meaning of grace. Even though our mannerism, beliefs, and abilities can be different than others, we are learning to adapt and function at levels we could have never done before. When this happens we understand that miracles still happen. Thank God for new beginnings. We are no longer alone.
Many of us who live in one day at a time recovery try to believe in God. We find if there is something about this God is he, she, or whatever, truly cares. And we believe whatever this force does for one person it can do for others. Most of us are pretty sure we cannot completely comprehend the why or how. Our reality is we know this force is love. It has modelled for us the miracle of one day at time recovery through those who have shown us how to be happy, joyous, and free. We start to see that this amiable and caring power working through other people. As this power worked through other people we had first hand experience of the gifts of love and empathy. We began to find clarity and we understand grace. These are gifts. It’s simple reality.
Many people living in one day at a time recovery understand that when we feel that we must stand alone we are in all actuality standing with the other. The other, which is the reality of what we call God, the spirit, or the universe will always stand with us. The truth is that he, she, they, or it will actually pick us up when we fall. The other actualizes the concept and the materialization of grace. We all know this. We just need a few moments of awareness, freedom, and a one day at a time hint of gratitude for grace to sink in. When it couldn’t or wouldn’t many of us reached out for professional help. Some of us needed medication and guidance to find this reality. The other is the inextricable connection that lives in us all. People living in one day at a time recovery simplistically reveal this to us. This is the other’s way of making awareness easy. We stand together. Peace.
People living in one day at a time recovery understand that there are times when we can’t find today. Not being able to find today is a rare but common occurrence. Often we find today while we are present in the moment as we are occupied by the task which is at hand during such times. The present has been brought to us either by the often drawn out experiences of our past which has brought us into a better today which at one time might have been the worries and preparations of a perhaps perceived troubled future. Today can be the grace of our one day at a time aspirations of what recovery would be all about. In all reality when we can’t find today we are either knocking at the door of depressive or anxious thinking. In all reality one day at a time recovery teaches us not to ruminate at such places. Some of us believe the reality of these portals are the realities of life which are and were unavoidable. Reality reveals this to us and there will be times when we can’t find today but we do develop resilience. In time we will find today. Peace.
Many people living in one day at a time recovery understand that most of us still have a tendency to react to the differences of opinion that we, as people, most certainly will experience, and defend, as we live and grow in one day at a time recovery. We adamantly hold fast onto our beliefs as non-listening combatants would do fearing differing opinions are in our reality a threat to our very existence. Experience will teach us that for the most part of our reaction is a fear-based response. In accordance with our reality as recovering people, our greatest threat is the words, “You can have just a couple can’t you?”. Our experienced reality is, “No I can’t.” Should there been any more attempts at persuasion we just leave. It’s a simple as that. We don’t need to defend ourselves any more. Our need for sobriety is not just an opinion. It’s reality. It takes a divine grace to keeps us safe. We need to understand this. Peace.
Many people living in one day at a time recovery understand the reality of plain old denial. Most of us who truly understand what denial truly is is that we are people who have relapsed back into active addiction after having a bit of time being abstinent. We discovered that active addiction only gets worse. Constant vigilance and the much needed support that we can find in the rooms of recovery teaches us the reality of being responsible enough to reach out to each other one day at a time. In this, and because of this, we discover the reality of divine intervention. We need not succumb to the cravings and the callings of active addiction. Just ask those of us who have learned the hard way. We need to accept reality. Reach out. Peace.
Many people living in one day at a time recovery understand and enjoy the reality of simple happiness. Simple happiness is. It just is. It can be found in the glimpse of a smile or in the sound of laughter. It can also be found in the taste of an apple or in a thirst quenched by water. In can be found in the freedom of choice where once freedom was lost. It’s the song of a cardinal or the drumming of drums. It is joy, it is hope, and it’s truth. It is gratitude and simple grace. It is mystery and love and it’s peace. It is. It just is. Peace.
Many people living in one day at a time recovery understand that we can live our lives as a bowl full of complicated simplicity. To keep it simple we need not use just one day at a time. Many of us choose to meet with other recovering people in the rooms of recovery and give and take is what happens when we meet. Often we mistakenly think we need the ideal job, the ideal home, the ideal relationship and a life full of ideal circumstances to be able to live happily in recovery but in doing so we make our lives really complicated by placing such conditions on being able to live happily one day at a time. The rooms of recovery teach us to keep life and recovery simple. Don’t use, reach out, give back, and help others. We will experience reality, grace, and freedom. Peace.
Many of us living in one day at a time recovery are people who have lived the lives of wayward monks. If we are new to recovery we are soon to realize that what we mean in saying we had lived our lives as wayward monks we mean we have lived, and still live our lives, as spiritual misfits. It is our experiences, and the stories we tell, or the musings we share, that make us so. What we have learned is – God takes care of babes and fools and in our innocence and our naivety we actually help people. When we do so we are just trying to find our way. Eventually we find grace in abundance which we learn to give and receive. Our waywardness is a gift which isn’t always easy. It’s the discovery of reality and reality can be hard. We need to understand this. Peace.
Those of us who have been living in recovery for a fair amount of time know what it is like to live a life of being jagged around the corners. This is the reality of living with the remnants of past fears and failures, and present character defects and short comings. This makes us think – “If only we could be perfect” or – “If only we could have been perfect.” We must remember that we are a “we”. For some of us our jaggedness is that we are misfits who had lived portions of our lives impaired, frightened, and out of control. Even though we live a life of recovery the jaggedness still lives on and will continue to live on. This is why we must accept the grace of a daily reprieve and it is that daily reprieve that keeps us living in abstinence and recovery. It’s a gift. Peace.