By Chava M.
At meetings lately I hear: “I wish you a slow recovery.”
Will someone please tell me what that means?
I send a “Get well soon” card to a sick friend. If someone had sent me a “Get well slowly” card when I was in the hospital in agonizing pain, I might have chucked both the card and the friend.
My powerlessness over alcohol means that tomorrow might be too late for me to sober up. When I was new in A.A. I needed a replacement for booze ASAP, Spirit to replace spirits. Years later, my daily reprieve still relies on an HP (Healing Presence) I need to know now. Otherwise I am doomed to the torture chamber of my mind and to disaster.
I’m concerned that a newcomer will hear “I wish you a slow recovery” and assume that they have all the time in the world. Let’s tell alcoholic newcomers our stories so they know we’ve been where they’ve been: gotta stop, wanna stop, cannot stop. Let’s then offer every newcomer serious about staying sober a solution—our spiritual program immediately .
We have a lot of fun at A.A. meetings. But let’s never forget that our meetings are really emergency rooms. If you’re dying, you don’t want the doctor to wish you a slow recovery. You want the bleeding stopped.
A newcomer’s first meeting might be their last chance.
So, because the need for a solution may be urgent, I’m wondering what you mean when you wish an alcoholic a slow recovery. Here’s my wish for newcomers and all of us A.A.s: may you be sponsored through the steps and continue to grow spiritually, may you persist and be patient with your efforts when it feels like the promises materialize way too slowly…but may you find God now!
Chava’s home group is Oakland Tuesday Night, held at 6:30pm Tuesdays. The meeting is hybrid; Chava attends on Zoom.
