"Take care of Al." I wonder how many people Joanne told that to, after she knew she was dying. Two people today, one at breakfast and one at lunch, accepted that charge.
As we were finishing breakfast S asked me "What are you doing tonight?" After a moments thought I replied, "I have no plans." S said "We're having an open meeting tonight. Why don't you come? You'll enjoy it." He went on to explain that every Thursday there's an open AA meeting at Hennepin United Methodist Church attended by about 300 people.
He was right, I did enjoy it. The personal stories of persons achieving sobriety through AA were inspiring. Birthdays were celebrated, but the anniversaries marked, were years of sobriety. One young woman reported a year, and she was accompanied by her family with whom she's trying to rebuild trust. There was one candle on her cake, which she blew out, before briefly address the group. The oldest, i.e., longest sobriety, marked thirty one years.
As I entered greeters, a dozen maybe, lined the hallways and their welcome felt genuine. Honesty is a must for recovery. That resonates with me. Once asked in a group setting to write my personal mission statement, I declared mine as, "Better living through truth." It is something for which I strive, but you, Gentle Reader, may be the best judge of my success.
Tomorrow I will make the familiar drive to South Dakota. It will be my first return to our "little house on the prairie". I'm very grateful that I will not be in the house alone. Lisa will be with me the first night and Lars and his family the second night. Joanne had twin Lazy-boy Recliners, one in our Minneapolis Condo and another in the "Little House". Seeing it empty will be hard. In a future post I'll tell an amusing story about her in the S.D. recliner.
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