A word I hear a lot, coming out of the USA. Service above self.

     More so than any other place I have been to.

     Through the middle of my day- Thursday- I have watched events unfold over there.

     Tradition 10 here- absolutely.  

But I am impressed- I notice it one whole lot- how this service ethos works through Alanon. How "pitching in"

begins when we walk into the rooms... ...when we make that first phone call. When we first click on that google link. 

Congratulations....  ...one time or another we all did this. 

Thanks for being here. It matters, because we all matter.  ...

Dear David 

Certainly al anon has stepped up to serve so many in asjusting to the zoom methodology.  I enjoy some aspects of thaf very much.  In fact I am considering doing zoom for therapy 

Service is indeed something that is seen in large conferences. I did enjoy.going to large meetings with count downs and round the clock meetings. I look.forward to the time they come back 

More than that I know the tremendous sea  change there us in recovery. For me personally exoloring the treament of comolex ptsd  has veen extremely useful. My recovery has moved forward in leaps and bounds. I sm in a far far better olace as a result. My work on learning about comolex ptsd has been supported by so many people whose knowledge, generosity and commitment to others leave me in awe 

Maresie 

  Thanks P. and Maresie.

Don Quixote was a character in fiction who went out tilting at windmills. I sometimes see myself like that.

Last night i went to the meeting to the west of here. It was pouring with rain. The old-timer up the gorge there truly appreciates the support. We sort of talked 19 to the dozen about local Alanon stuff. About our sponsors. There are two younger members coming- and done was there last night.

My counterpart told me how their group had folded. At one time some AA double winners had stepped in and got the group going again. She told me how a -no cross-talk- format had made the group much more functional.

Even with two of us there I had practised no cross-talk and observed how powerful it was. Empowering.

I have seen one or two people impose it in a rigid way in the past. A strong sense of observance. In our meeting last night we chatted and laughed after our sharing. Kicked back, in other words.

The weather here has been so unseasonal. When I woke up this morning I felt grotty. So I stretched out in bed and did a step 10. A feel a lot better now, and am getting the benefit of the meeting last night.

I am looking forward to going to face tp.face meetimgs. Rigiht now there is no.chance of that until the fall 

I was extremely lucky.that when i.first got into 12step programs I lived in a city where there was meetings day a d night 

I am very grateful for that incredible opportunity. Of course I.also take 100% credit for my recovery 

Of course as someone with complex ptsd I certainly was trggered all the time at meetings. Neverthekess I found #anchors,# for much of ny recovery 

That is why it has been so helpful for me to.enbrace that codependence is indeed a defence in complex ptsd. I am beginning to.establisg ny depression is as well 

Now I am so clear about what I can do about my issues there is no where to go but forward. 

I.have reached a level of acceotance I never got to.before and never imagined 

How glad I am to make it there

I.was slways really kinda clueless how anyone got to acceptance.  After all I had a lot to acceot or so I thought 

However larely I have cime to.acceot so much of the unacceotable in my life. What a true gift that js to get to that point of derachment.  I think.it.os also a big testamont to making large strides in dealing with my inner critic 

In these very.very hard times it is indeed extremely helpful to be hopeful, positive and crystal clear about the road ahead 

No matter what happens I am so mich better at taking care kf myself. What a big gift for the New Year: acceptance. 

Maresie 

  Maresie...

                    this is another random share, really... ...no wanting to start another thread.

I was at the supermarket- and picked up a magazine. Because of the topic- breathing. I

have been on a breathing kick for about 4 years now. But t does appear, from the magazine,

that breathing is "in".

The article describes the whole gamut of breathing and health breathing. Th impact it might have

on the body and the mind too. Thee might be a little bit of hocus-pocus there... but just a little.

As I type I breathe gently through my nose. Much more relaxed. My cheeks and jaw are relaxed.

Self-care...  ... 

Service work is a very important part of our program. There is a CAL book about it called "When I got busy, I got better". It can start by fixing the coffee at f2f groups and setting up the chairs, or chairing a meeting. I also was the adult sponsor for an Alateen group when I was in my first years in al-anon, I grew as much as the kids did. Service work helps us to get the focus off the alcoholic and back on us and also giving back to others in a healthy way. Other ways to do service work is by chairing a meeting or being a sponsor. I am so grateful for the opportunity in the past to be a servant of this site in the capacity of a meeting chair. i was hoping that I could get the meetings going again, but alas I have not been able to. 

David 

Certainly breath work is really great 

However I guess this is an improvement for me.  Here in the USA we are in the middle of a crisis on many levels 

I.am normally in the middle of this stuff personally.  The qualifier certainly created massive chaos.

Now we are in the middle of this as a country 

Everything but everything is affected. The mail takes for ever. No one answers the phone. Every single activity takes for ever. 

We have screening every place we go temperatures questionaires.  People still go out and party like nothing is going on .

There is no.end in sight .

So I can no longer talk about face to face meetings. In the area I live in. No.church services, no.eating in restaurants, no government offices open 

The chaos is palpable daily unremiting with no relief whatsoever. 

Maresie