From Courage to Change of Nov 19:
For years I lamented the absence of a label that would identify the soul sickness that brought me to the fellowship. I wanted to say, “I’m a recovering controller, enabler, caretaker, fixer.” Although they identify some of my character defects, these labels miss the mark. I’m not simply seeking recovery from one limitation or problem. The goal I’m striving for in Al-Anon is an overall sense of wellness.
My pursuit of this goal began by seeking recovery from the way a loved one’s alcoholism has affected my life. But today Al-Anon offers me even more. As I heal and grow, I find that it is no longer enough simply to survive. The principles and tools that brought me this far can help me to create an increasingly rich and fulfilling life.
Today, when I say I’m a grateful member of Al-Anon, I’m not zeroing in on one particular problem but rather participating in a whole host of solutions that can lead to emotional, physical, and spiritual health.
Today’s Reminder
As I continue on the never-ending path of spiritual progress, I will expand my view of recovery.
“In Al-Anon we believe life is for growth, both mental and spiritual.”
~ The Twelve Steps and Traditions
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Recovery, I’ve learned, is not a cosmetic repair. It is not about sanding down the most visible flaws. It is about tending to the deeper architecture of the soul.
I came to Al-Anon because of the chaotic legacy of addiction in my family. That was the doorway. But the work has taken me far beyond that original pain. What I am being invited into now is not mere survival but a widening life. A life with breath in it. With flexibility. With presence. With color returning where everything once felt gray.
There is a subtle but sacred shift that happens along the path: I stop asking, “How do I endure this?” and begin asking, “How do I live well?” The same tools that once helped me stay afloat now help me steer. The same principles that once protected me now shape me.
When I say I am a grateful member of several 12 Step groups, Al-Anon included, I am not confessing pathology. I am affirming participation in a way of living. A way that honors emotional sobriety, spiritual attentiveness, embodied truth. A way that invites me to grow instead of contract.
Recovery is no longer a narrow hallway. It has become a widening horizon. It is the one place where spiritual growth and the writing of my own story are not in conflict.
It seems that life is not meant to be managed.
It is meant to be grown into.
Daily Reprieve 
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