made it into Hilo and we get together for a late lunch and memories and "get to know you" conversation.  Her husband is a delight to talk with and she found my wife delightful also.   It was very very nice because she is one of the first foundation stones in my recovery in the program.  I am not amazed at the rush of memories from "back when" and I am amazed at the power of them...kinda, sorta, in a way.  I understand the power more when I realize that finding Al-Anon and the fellowship when and where I did not only changed my life...it also saved my life.  Lots of us here who have time in recovery know what I am talking about.  This afternoon I was thinking about those memories again and just let them run at will.  This sponsor pointed me toward the man who would become the most prominent sponsor in my recovery...Don'T and later gave me the name and address of his widow so that I could make contact and low and behold, though I never knew she lives in a mountain town miles away from where I lived that our local fellowship introduced the program to because they were expressing such a need.  It is also a mountain town where the alcoholism in my own family, blood and marriage ran amok.  I went back for a visit some years back and they took the original meeting and multiplied it by four!!  HP works in very dramatic and mysterious ways.  I still have a niece who lives in that area who lives with the "problem".  My elder brother's, who just past away, eldest daughter.  Damn my family is soooo riddled with gaping holes from this disease!!  The contacts follow as I got a phone call I have yet to return from my former sister in law who almost lost her life up in that mountain area as my brother rolled his car off the side of it's steep roadway.  It broke her up badly and disfigured her and then the family and then more and I'm wondering if I might be of use if HP is willing to help cause some change with the survivors.  I don't know and I won't try unless led cause "I've admitted that I am powerless..."

Anyhow...we ate and talked and took pictures and the lid came off of my memory box...I am soooo damned grateful for being led blindly to Al-Anon by a higher power I didn't even know was call a higher power much less a God of my own underestanding.  We  have memories to talk about still and probably way too many to actually do justice to and I know that when you sit and review memories with someone you created them with new memories are created still.    Wow!! what a visit...I get to "not regret the past or wish to close the door on it..."  I don't and I won't.   

I wish this same awesome event to all of you who gain time in recovery.  Keep coming back ((((Hugs))))