The Gap Between the AA and the Al-Anon Programs

          Survey data about membership in 12-step programs is available only from Al-Anon, as none of the other world service offices gather such data. Recent figures show a disturbing trend. Cooperation, based on the percentage of Al-Anons who were referred to Al-Anon by members of AA, was at an all-time high in 1996 (38%), but in the short nine-year period ending in 2006 that figure had dropped to only 08%. Some guess that this is because people on both sides seem to be regarding meetings held “over there” as “in the enemy camp.”

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In Praise of Lois and Bill Wilson’s only child 

Today's post as well as the next few will concern the cooperation between AA and Al-Anon. Figures from the past 12 years of surveys done by the Al-Anon World Service Office indicate that the percentage of new Al-Anons referred by AA's has declined steadily from a high in 1995. This is of deep concerne to me, as AA and the AA friends I made during the years of my own recovery played a HUGE role in that process!

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I am sitting at my desk on Christmas day at Tallgrass, listening to Christmas music and thinking about the past year. There are many thoughts going through my head. The one thing that really is apparent to me is that I am so grateful for the gift of sobriety. As Rylee (2.0) barks to at the door to be let in, the thought of the many people who have been touched by Tallgrass, goes through my head. The one that has had the biggest impact is of course, my dad. He passed away in September and is at the big meeting in the sky. I think back to the hundreds of faces of people who have spent time at Tallgrass and wonder how many are clean and sober today, enjoying the holiday’s, as I am able to. I think of the ones who were lost as a result of this disease. Adam, Matt, Mike, Troy, Rob, Prescott, Brian, and whoever else I am not aware of. Then I picture the hundreds of people who are sober and clean today, far too many to mention here.
I am blessed with a loving family, caring friends, a wonderful job with great co-workers and a God that has been with me everyday of my life whether I knew it or not. My life has been greatly affected in a way that would never been possible if I hadn’t received the gift of sobriety. So I would just like to say thank you to every person who has touched my life as a result of God’s gift called Tallgrass.

May the road rise up to meet you.

May the wind be always at your back.

May the sunshine warm upon your face, the rain fall soft upon your fields.

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Plan the Event, NOT the Outcome.

What is most important is what you really WANT. If you do not know what your expectations are, then you are predisposing yourself to dissapointment and eventually resentment.

So often before recovery I found myself consumed by resentment about something said, done, or not done by another person. It was after the interaction with that other that I realized that I DID have expectations of another...I just had not consciously identified them.

OK. So if your expectations are based on what is arranged by God instead of what is arranged by another flawed human being, then you are on the track to remaining resentment free. But how do you keep that perspective? Here is a wonderful prayer given to us by the theologian Thomas Merton that helps me remain expectant for the absolute best and free of resentment;

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