Welp... I Lived and Survived thru my 1st "al-anon/AA" Confrence.... WOW...WOW...WOW...

Had someone told me how exausting it was goin to be, I don't know that I would have signed up... So I am VERY grateful... NO ONE DID... :)

I got some much from it, and met such wonderful people, both in al-anon, and AA... I have made some wonderful friends, and heard some unbelievable speakers...

Friday- I got there AFTER dinner hour, so I got to see some entertainment, Skits and such, and we had a nice group of Al-Teen, which was Wonderful seeing those kids be in such a powerful program... So proud of all the people that pitched in to make sure they could be there..

After that we had a meet & Greet: which was nice, just meetin new faces, and program "Guru's" ;) And from there I decided on a "Workshop" about Detachment :)
MY FAVORITE.. I think Detachment was the 1st thing I married when I joined Al-anon... It was the one thing I KNEW... I had to learn 1st and for most... So that tied out my evennin on Fri, and I headed home for a good night sleep so that I could be up and runnin in the morning to be at the 1st 8:30 "Workshop"

My Sat. started out got up, got ready and headed for the door, with my Bob Segar CD in hand, (One of my Dad's Favorites)...So needless to say, I played that, all the way to the convenstion, prayin to my HP, Cryin my eyes out, but ya know... It was a GOOD Cry... So when i got there, it was a beautiful day, and I was full of HOPE, Inspiration, Antisipation, and Excitement... WOW...

1st Workshop: Courage--- Fear that had said its prayers
I sat in that room, and I listened to a Lady named Lee, that had such a Moving story of her life, about all i could do was sit there and cry, but again, (Much needed) and then the next lady Marie who was to lead as well shared hers, and well I was sitting there as they started around the room and people would share, and I would cry, and they kept sharing and sometimes the ladys would pick out someone (I assumed they new)...lol... Well I remember sitting 2 chairs away from "Marie" and she goes "Well... We only have about 5 minutes left" (As I am thinkin to myself... Thank God... I don't think I can take much more...) and then I hear this "Muffled" (How about you Jozie).... Well I knew, it wasn't goin to be easy... and I knew I was goin to cry my eyes out and I DID... I shared, it was wonderful... After that meeting, "Lee" had come up to me, and just simple said, "I need too Hug you"... And i just thought WOW... All you been thru and YOU NEED to Hug ME... What love I got this weekend ... Un Beileivable...

2nd Workshop: Accepting Loss.... (Like I'm ready for this one right)... Well I did do better in this one, one of the "elders" from my home group was one of the leads, and I have always enjoyed listenin to her, she is wise in her old age, and just talks of things that makes my head spin when you look at her, for she just looks like a Frail ol' gal...and the next lady had been thru so much, and as they went around that room, I listened to a gentleman that had lost his Father, the Sunday before... And another that had lost her son to the disease, and another that lost her daughter, and tho I cried... It was still like HP was sittin on my sholder sayin "Your right were you meant to be"... and I felt that... ALOT...

3rd Step 6 Tradition 6 Letting god by letting go of Diversions....

Well, This one I wasn't spoke to I think mainly because there was only one lead, & the 1st words out of her Mouth was "I haven't been in the program for some time now... " Well that lost me.. I enjoyed the OTHER shares in the room, but with her openning, I just got lost... It was all over the place, and the funny thing is... I had just told ANOTHER al-anon before this meeting that "I don't think there is a BAD Meeting"...lol..

Well after this one, I was somewhat drained from the earlier, and HUNGRY.. So me and 2 friends went in town for a bite to eat, which was great... Good Company and Good Food... And as I am telling the one how "I was wrong about not havin a bad meetings" she just says... If ya feel that way again, get up, walk out, and go to another one... " (They have about 5 to choose from on each hour)... Well to me I was always taught to Not Interupt, or Walk out when someone is speakin so that to me was a thought I had not even had...lol... Like because I sat there, my feet were then glued to the floor & i must stay ...lol...

I can HONESTLY say.. That was the ONLY bad thing I experienced the entire.... Time....

After Lunch...

Next.. Was an AA Speaker Named "Ceiclia" and I can tell ya, the 1st words out of her mouth was... I am Ceiclia... And I'm a DRUNK... and a proud member of this program...
Well, she lit up the room, she made ya laugh, cry, feel such a strength it was unreal... I listened to her for an hour and half, and I didn't want her to stop talkin, she was well worth, all the tears from the morning, because so much of her life... Was MINE... I had to buy her CD before I left, because it was that moving.... :)

.4th   Let it Begin with Me: Relationships.... This one I did enjoy alot more then the one before, and there are so many that come to share, and just jump right in there, and I had so much respect for them... What you get from these "Workshops/Meetings" is so loving, and kind, and everyone is friendly and No stress.. it is really nice... The love that i was showed over the weekend from complete Strangers was just unreal to me..

Then it was dinner time, I had to run home and check on my dogs, and it was such a beautiful day, and the place they held the convention was at a lake side resort, and the weather was nice, & I ran home, checked the dogs and still had 2 hours before the next worshop... but I didn't want to do anything but GO BACK...lol.. So I did...
I went back, got me a book, and snuck down to the Lake, and tucked away back in the trees, was a lonely little bench all hidin right at the edge of the lake... It called to me and I answered.. .I sat there, I prayed, I read, I prayed and read till the sun was gone and the air cooled and it was too dark to read .... I still had an hour before the next meet so I went in to the resort, found a nice comfy couch, and just sat there with my book and cleared my thoughts till the next speaker...

Next was an Al-anon Speaker Karen from Vermont... :) Again... She was tellin MY story right there on that stage... No not everything she said, but so much I could not stop listening to her.. Soooo Got her CD too ;) I will go into more detail after this post, when I can do more refleting :)

I was SOOO Frickin Excited about what was next... It was more then I ever thought, it could be... We had an Open AA Panel, and all the Al-anoners got a chance to ask "What Ever" questions they wanted to the AA group...THis would have had to be the BESt thing EVER... for those (6) AA Members, they had to answer some pretty tough questions, but they did it with stide, and honesty, and I got so much from that...And I also was sitting there, with a burning desire to ask a questions and as i sat there, (Ok let me 1st say.. One of my BIGGEST Fears, is standing in front of a group, sayin ANYTHING) Well I sat there, and you could see my Shirt... POUNDING... I was that Nervous... But as I sat there a prayed I ask HP to just Give me the strength... and before I knew it after I thought I was goin to have a stroke... I am on my feet, walkin to the front to Grab that Microphone.. (There was about 200 people in that room)... BIG Fear to OVercome for me... I was So Proud... And I stood up there, ask my question, and it just flowed like butter, as my hands shook like i was goin thru "DT's"...lol... I was so proud of my self... Lt. for some ... HUGE for me :)

Well at this time it is 10pm, I am whooped, I walked in with a couple new friends to the dance, and I just couldn't... I was to tired to shake anything, I knew it was time to go home :)

So next mornin started at 8:30 again there was only 1 time slot for workshops, and I chose : Faith: A Fantastic Adventure in Trusting HP:
there was only one lead, but when she had finished the room opened up, and everyone there was sharin, I was in there with a lady I had met in my very 1st meeting there, and she was just so kind, and friendly, and held my hand when I would get upset, and just a lovely women... From there, we had to meet in the big room for the final part of the program which was the "Spirtuality Speakers"
What a great way to end a wonderful weekend. there was 2 ladys that each spent an hour telling there Spirtual journeys and it was just a wonderful experience, and I am so glad that even tho, I was mentally exausted i kept my promise to myself, & I seen it thru from start to finish... Many of the things in those rooms, I will remember for a long time to come... I will indeed share with all of you some of those times, but since I am burning up the paragraghs with just the simple details, I will share them as they come to me, and as I remember and can reflect on each of them...

 Some had ask me to post what went on, because some have never went to one... WELL... I have to tell you, if you EVER get the chance to spend a weekend in this kind of enviroment... DO IT... Sign UP NOW :) the friends I met from ages 30 couple to 80 some, it was something that I will never regret in my life, all that siad... You will be with "Family" you'll be fine... Well THANK YOU... Thank you for the encouragement, the strength, and the PUSH I needed to "Keep Myself" ... In that place... it would have been easy to stay home, but I knew, HP knew... It was right were I was Meant to be... At that Moment, and At that Time in my life... And if they are in my nieghborhood again next year... Welp... I only pray.... That I can see all those wonderful faces again... What a Blessing.. What a Miriacle to have all those people in one spot with all the stories of Strength, Hope, Experiences, Love, Devotion... WOW is about all I can say :)

So thats my Weekend... WoW....

Love & Prayers to all

Jozie

Sorry so long... But this the short versoin :) lol... Love & Hugs all :)