Letting Go Saved Us Both

Years ago, I walked into Al-Anon. I had exhausted all my ideas and energy trying to defeat my husband’s alcoholism, which I considered a weakness of character. I tried to keep it a secret within our four walls. I lost courage when, to my chagrin, he publicly displayed...

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...

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...