After 28 years of marriage to my alcoholic husband, I finally reached the point of being so emotionally unhealthy that I went to my first Al‑Anon meeting. I sobbed for three months straight, but I didn’t miss a meeting, as I was committed to getting help for myself. I had tried everything to get my husband to stop binging on alcohol, to no avail. I was desperate to stop feeling the pain and chaos that had become my life.
During those first few months, I feared I might be too broken inside to achieve what I saw in the bright, smiling, calm faces at my meetings. I often asked, “What if I’m that one person this won’t work for?” The other people at the meetings treated me with kindness and dignity. They offered an attentive ear and gave me only one piece of advice: “Keep Coming Back.”
I started really listening to the sharings and realized that others’ stories mirrored my own. So I dove into the program, read the Conference Approved Literature, adopted the slogans, and kept coming back. Reflecting on the past five months, I can see how much my life has changed for the better, thanks to Al‑Anon.
I recently had the opportunity to speak at a meeting and shared a poem I had written for those in attendance who have helped me realize a saner, more serene life. The poem was a success, and I am so grateful to those men and women in my meetings who held me up when I couldn’t do it for myself.
By Jodi K., Wisconsin
The Forum, April 2022
Reprinted with permission of The Forum, Al-Anon Family Group Headquarters, Inc., Virginia Beach, VA.