Articles
The Reason I Came to Al-Anon
While I was having lunch with a new Al-Anon friend, she asked me, “Who brought you to Al-Anon?” It took me just seconds to respond. I brought myself to this program. You see, I have learned that no alcoholic, nor any other person, caused my actions, reactions, or...
My Quiet Half-Hour
“Just for today I will have a quiet half hour all by myself and relax.” I had somehow lost track of this wonderful suggestion from Al-Anon’s Just for Today bookmark (M-12). It’s not that I don’t have quiet half hours; I live alone. Rather, I had lost sight of the...
A Community of Understanding
Fourteen months ago, I was overwhelmed with anxiety and felt completely broken. My desire to control was off the charts as I watched my beautiful 38-year-old daughter—the mother of a precocious five-year-old and wife of a kind and loyal man—sink deeper into the depths...
Willingness and the Collateral Benefits of Service
If you are like me, sometimes service commitments don’t inspire excitement. When I first heard the terms Board of Trustees and Executive Committee, they sounded like another room in a house I wasn’t allowed to enter. They sounded intimidating, even out of reach. But...
Reflections from the WSO Archivist on 75 Years of Al-Anon History
As Al-Anon Family Group Headquarters, Inc. prepares to commemorate 75 years of help and hope in 2026, I reflect on the fellowship’s long, remarkable journey and the role of the World Service Office (WSO) Archives in preserving its story. The Archives began in New York...
Honoring More Than 75 Years of Public Outreach
As Al-Anon Family Group Headquarters, Inc. approaches its 75th anniversary, we celebrate the enduring impact of public outreach in bringing hope to families and friends of alcoholics. Even before our incorporation as a nonprofit in 1951, Al-Anon members shared the...
I’ve Been There Too
Have you ever been sitting in an Al-Anon meeting and, after a member shares, you hear someone respond with, “Glad you are here”? Maybe on your way out, you pass someone chatting with a newcomer and hear them say, “Glad you are here.” On my first listen, I thought it...
Seeking Answers
I came into Al-Anon looking for answers, believing I needed to fix the alcoholic in my life. I expected to hear how to do that at an Al-Anon meeting. Life was chaotic at the time, and I wanted a quick fix to my problems. I must admit that I got all the answers I ever...
Learning to Listen
Before I came to Al-Anon, I thought I was a great listener and that I had the answers to everything. I would often give advice and voice my opinions, even when no one asked. I did this mostly with my husband, who’s the alcoholic in my life, but it also extended to my...
Carrying the Message: A Gift of Serenity
Today, I am grateful to share the gift of serenity I’ve received through the worldwide fellowship of Al-Anon Family Groups. Like many others, I came to Al-Anon overwhelmed by a loved one’s drinking and the chaos it brought into my life. I felt like I was losing my...