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Al-Anon Forum Magazine Featured Article

A Message of Hope from a Surprising Source
Yesterday was a tough day. My stepdad died of cancer at home just after midnight. He was a great guy.
This morning is chilly and crisp. It is dark as I write this before dawn.
My mother loved him very much. So did I. Many people loved him, including his children, stepchildren, and stepgrandchildren. Ours is a big, blended family, brought together when my mother and stepdad met over 20 years ago in AA.
I immediately drove to my mother's house after she called me in the middle of the night. I stayed by her side all day -- it was something I could do. I heard my mother tell someone on the phone she was doing okay, and that I was there. She said it was good not to be alone.
But it was a long day, without much sleep. I was thankful my Sponsor was available that afternoon when I called her. She talked to me and helped me find some serenity.
Early in the evening I went home to sleep and had a good night's rest. I was thankful.
This morning I made coffee and decided to follow my usual routine. It includes spending time with my daily readings at my desk. The latest issue of The Forum arrived yesterday. It was on the kitchen counter with the rest of the mail my husband brought in. I decided to use the magazine to begin my readings.
As happens so many times in this program, somehow I was led to just what I needed.
The first story I read was about learning to replace old, destructive thoughts with new, hopeful ones. It was about sending ourselves new messages of hope and strength even when we feel lonely and afraid.
The writer talked about focusing on what is right in front of us. When we do, feelings like fear pass. The story had just what I needed to read in my grief and loss over my stepdad. I was struck by how much the article had to say to me.
Looking back to the beginning of the story, I was thunderstruck when I saw what I hadn't noticed before. I had written the article. It was a sharing I had sent in months before. I had forgotten about it. God led me to my own message on a day when I needed it most.
I am grateful to Al-Anon for being there and showing me a new way of living. Thank you, Forum, for arriving in the mail each month with stories of experience, strength, and hope -- and for being part of the little miracle God gave me this morning. Today I believe nothing happens in God's world by mistake.
by Eileen, Kansas
Published December, 2006
 
Alcoholism is a family disease. Those of us who live with, or have have lived with, this disease as children or adults sometimes have problems which the Al-Anon program can help us to resolve. If you have answered yes to some of all of the above questions, Al-Anon may be of help to you. You can contact Al-Anon by checking your local telephone directory, or from the Resources page. Phone numbers and Contact Information for the Austin Area are listed on the Contact Page of this website.
 
These articles were reproduced with permission from 'The Forum', the monthly inspirational newsletter of Al-Anon. Al-Anon World Headquarters, Inc. is located in Virginia Beach, VA. See www.Al-Anon.org for more information.