Tag: al anon tools
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When NOT to “Take what you like and leave the rest”
One of the things I love about Al-Anon is that I can go to almost any meeting, anywhere, and hear the same wonderful words: the Suggested Opening and the Suggested Closing. Just the sound of them brings my heart rate down and unclenches my shoulders. I’m safe, home, among friends, whether I happen to have…
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My heroes didn’t wake up like that
I was about five years old the first time I saw the Olympics on TV. And wow! I was enthralled. Gymnasts defying gravity, runners approaching the speed of sound–performing feats I’d never seen anyone do, and making it all look easy. They had superpowers! Just like Mighty Mouse, Spiderman, and all my other cartoon friends!…
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Duck, duck, surrender
If you share with me the common Al-Anon trait of wanting to have all your ducks in a row–sorted by size, color, material, date of purchase, and squeaker volume–uncovering our powerlessness and facing it can feel like a big, slow-motion disaster. I used to be good at keeping those ducks in a row. If there…
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Everything has two handles
Everything has two handles, one by which you can carry it, the other by which you cannot. If your brother wrongs you, do not take it by that handle, the handle of his wrong, for you cannot carry it by that, but rather by the other handle–that he is a brother, brought up with you,…
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What mountain biking taught me about detachment
Mountain biking is different from road riding, and I have the scars to prove it. Disclaimer: I am a baby beginner at MTB. I’m also a baby beginner at detachment, and I have the scars from that too. The Al-Anon pamphlet on detachment was the first piece of CAL that made sense to me. All…
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The life-changing magic of learning to text my sponsor
I sometimes wonder if all introverts struggle as much as I did when I first came into the program. I’ll never know, because we don’t talk to each other. Or anyone else, if we can help it, unless we have no other options. Preferable options include death, dismemberment, and being bitten repeatedly by poisonous snakes,…
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Staying sane during the holidays
The holiday season is upon us, dammit. Oops, did I say that out loud? That means turkey, pumpkin pie, family gatherings, expectations, stress, premeditated resentments, and memories of s#!tshows past. Whoops, sorry! Did I say that out loud, too? I meant to say, love, joy, peace, and Norman-Rockwell-like bliss. Only that’s not the whole story,…
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Three Magic Words That Became A Power Tool
One night, Kid Qualifier #1 came over to the house tipsy and decided it would be fun to walk around on the roof. Drunk. In the dark. (At least he kept his clothes on.) After a few minutes, I figured out I wasn’t going to be able to talk him down. This not being my…
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What’s In A Name?
Just in case you were wondering… What does an Al-Anon recovery journal have to do with dinosaurs? Absolutely nothing. So why is it called Recoverysaurus? There’s no deep, compelling backstory here. I just liked it. Adding ‘-saurus‘ to anything makes it sound infinitely cooler, if you’re five years old. Also, well, a little silly. That…
