The material presented
here is not Al-Anon Conference Approved Literature. It is a method
to exchange
information, ideas, feelings, problems and solutions on a personal
level.
Boy it was fun and it went well! We have a fairly well structured group so it was fairly easy to do. I picked boundaries as my topic and did some readings from Hope for Today. Lots of great shares. It was nice to feel like I did a good job. It was nice to be in a roomfull of non judgemental people.
Right before I left for my meeting my H told me my MIL got into a fight with my SIL and BIL. She is sooo out of control. My SIL asked her to not let the baby chew on a pill bottle and my MIL said oh don't be so ridiculous and my SIL told her I'm her mother and I'm asking you NOT to let her chew on that and my MIL said "and your a Bi$@ too." I am so shocked... she's never gone that far or been that inappropriate. I really believe her the A in her is finally coming out and or other issues. My H knows that what she did was wrong but still tries to find other reasons or excuses although for the first time last night I heard him say she drinks like a fish but he still won't call her an alcoholic. I'm not so positive it's the illness as much as she's just a very controlling, judgemental "do it my way" kind of person. It's very sad to see someone so sad but I don't want that negativity and poison in my life.
Glad your meeting went great and sorry you are dealing with unacceptable behavior in your family. Don't take any of it personally with AH's family, I had a real hard time with that and at times still feel inadequate to deal with them at times. I am sending you love and support!
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Sending you love and support on your journey always! BreakingFree
Al-Anon/Alateen Family Group Headquarters, Inc. 800-344-2666
" Pain is inevitable, suffering is optional."
"Serenity is when your body and mind are in the same place."
Good For You! I Remember My 1st Lead... I Was Scared to DEATH...lol... Just because I was So Use to being Judged by others that I thought if I was Honest about Me they were Surely to "Disbar" me from the Meetings... lol... Yes I was that Sick at the time! But Once I Got One Under My Belt, thats when My Recovery took on New Shape... I got Confidense were there was none... I got Love & Compassion from People that Accually had it to give... and that is when My Program began to sore...
A Dear Friend of Mine told me that she too got mixed up tryin to share so she would write down everything she wanted to share & read it from a Paper... I LOVED THAT! Because then you Heard ALL her Emotions and she could write them out and they came out so much more Profound then when she would wing it... I too have done this a Time or Two... When SOmething is Troubling My Mind & I Just want to Release it...It has been a Big Help... I Don't Write them Down all the time... But Its nice to know its an Option for those stressful moments when I Just need to Release the Insanity Quickly... :)
My Afathers entire Family is Alcoholics so I So relate to the Way your MIL is acting... Like stated above, Setting Boundry's and Letting Her Keep her Own "ICK" is Recovery... I Use to try to "Fix" them all, and Thank Goodness I Found a Program that taught me that I am Worthy of So Much More then Other Peoples Troubles... I can still Love the Person, without Liking their Behavior....
Good Job chairing the meeting. As you pointed out, doing service in al anon is a gift. To be participating in a group that lives by the traditions and operates as a fellowship of equals is very powerful.
Unfortunately, this is not usually the case in our families. That is when detachment and focusing on myself really pay off.
Betty - I agree! I hope to chair more. As far as my MIL that incident isn't mine but it triggered events for me where she behaved badly with me. I'm learning to let go and if she can't treat me with the respect I deserve I choose not to interact with her.
