Hi Everyone!  It's been a long time since I last posted here because I made a home for myself over on the ACOA board!  It takes time to get to know people on these boards, and now I feel I do know several people there because of the sharing over these past few months.  It feels strange for me to come here, but because I owe my life and a HUGE part of my recovery to the Al-Anon program and the 12 steps, this is really home for me too, even though I don't know any of you.  We already know each other in ways that really count, I'm sure, because of the nature of the journey we're on!

I just want to share with you how glad and grateful I am that I have been able to experience some real healing in my life as a result of hanging in there with the program these past several years.  Life has taken me in a direction I would never have imagined and certainly didn't plan, but I can see now that there is a blessing to be had in having been the daughter of an alcoholic father and a schizophrenic mother, and ending up in an orphanage, and then trying to "do" a life with zero life-skills for many years!  I never thought I would ever get to the point that I could say this--and mean it!  But I do mean it--because I have been given the gift of finding my authentic self!  It's a work still in progress, of course--as the name of this forum implies--but it's such an exciting and worthwhile endeavor.  I am in awe of anybody who undertakes this, and at whatever stage they are at, because it takes enormous courage!  The world is not particularly supportive of the inner search for authenticity, and the families we have been enmeshed with often dont appreciate our efforts either.  But from the very first moment I got a glimpse of what healing and recovery were all about, I KNEW-- this was what I was looking for!

So, what I want to say is--keep it coming!  Take heart!  Encourage yourself, and encourage others. 

Happy New Year!  Happy New Life!

~seachange

Seachange,

Thanks for the share, you are right we all know eachother through the experiences we have had.

Glad you are doing well.

Much Love,

Seachange,

Thank you for your sharing.  What a moment to come to - to be able to give thanks for the life you have been given, when you begin to see the gifts!  You have made me think about my day differently today. 

I know that I have also made up my life.  The life I have I couldn't possibly have had without the difficulties of the journey, as it was.  And I am so grateful to God for giving me the life I have. 

Thanks to all you of you for being here. 

Happy New Year!

What a wonderful uplifting post. I told a friend today that my choosing to look at some very painful memories over the Christmas holiday was an example of success too. We do not need to be walking hallmark cards to be successful!!!

yay for you and your courage.

maresie.

Thanks Dolphin123, mebjk, and maresie!  I feel the warmth of your welcome and response to my post!  It's so good to know there is family out there, and that we all have this focus on healing, no matter where we are at in the stages of recovery!

Best to you and all who post here for 2006!

~seachange