Faith and Gratitude by Danny
January 7, 1985, is a date that will be forever embedded in my memory. Sitting in the emergency room of a hospital in the Bronx, New York, waiting to get into detox for the second time, I never imagined how my life would turn out. I was hopeless, friendless, jobless, and penniless. I had the […]
Goodbye Letter to My Eating Disorder, Anonymous
This is extremely difficult for me to do, but I have to let you go. You have served me well for many, many years, or at least that was the lie that I told myself. There was a time that you provided me with great solace, comfort and security. When I believed that I had […]
How I Use The Slogans, Anonymous
You Are Not Alone When I am stressed, lonely, and feeling unique, like no one could possibly understand what I am going through, it helps me to remind myself that I am not alone. I have God, my sponsor, my network of friends, family, and a treatment team. So what I need to do is […]
Dark Corners by Mike H.
The Dark Corners of my mind bring me unwanted memories Of dimly lit, smoke-filled rooms charged with despair, remorse Tall stools to sit on, amber liquid coiled in a glass beautiful, deadly There is no refuge here, only danger, retreat Avoiding the memories by sleep doesn’t work, they return as nightmares. A ray of light […]
It’s Not About The Grind
At the suggestion of my sponsor, I joined the same home group that he was a member of. I attended my first business meeting after the regular meeting was over. The Group Service Representative (GSR) asked for a volunteer to set up, make coffee and clean up before and after the meeting. I was surprised […]
Words Have Power by Clara W.
I decided that as part of my spiritual recovery I wanted to “clean up” my language. I profess to being a fan of the 4-letter word, as well as other colorful and versatile adjectives that I would not use in front of my mother. However, I believe that words have power and energy, and today […]
It’s That Time of Year by Debbie W.
As the new year approaches many people begin to think about making New Year’s resolutions. Some actually accomplish them. Most are neglected and forgotten by February. Here are some suggestions for success with your resolutions in 2015. 1. Define your goals. Be specific and make sure your goal is realistic. 2. Plan. What are the […]
The Christmas Present by Mike H.
It’s a little known fact that 10% of the toys made by Santa’s elves do not pass quality control inspection. This is a story about one of those toys. Timothy’s Train toy #MCH1385633762 came off the assembly line in June 1987. He had a powerful looking black engine, a sleek yellow freight carrier, and study […]
The Christmas Gift by Michael H.
I have been wondering about who started this business about giving Christmas presents and decided it was those three wise men who traveled to Bethlehem. You know, the ones bearing gifts. Apparently, Sears, JC Penney’s and the Pottery Barn found out about it, printed up their catalogs and the rest is history. There are two […]
The Ghost of Christmas Past by Michael H.
I remember when the most important part of the holiday season was the drinking. Office parties, house parties, bar parties—all in the name of holiday “cheer”. I remember going to the liquor store to “stock up” and buying bottles of liquor in fancy boxes to give as gifts. I remember the effort I made buying […]
A Time for Family, Celebration, Food & Fun by Lori H., RD
Holidays can have a way of revolving around food and family and the joy of being together. Does it sometimes seem that parties and holiday celebrations are mostly high fat and high sugar foods? As you plan your shopping list for a holiday meal, look for ingredients that can make family favorite recipes not only […]
Good Morning, God by Margery Porter
In Memory of Margery Porter, B.S., C.A.P., C.E.D.S.May 1942 – November 2004 What did you say to yourself this morning—“Good morning, God!” or “Good God it’s morning!” Interestingly enough, the small change of wording can make a world of difference in the type of day you set up for yourself. For many of us, positive […]
I’ll just have a water by Ashley N.
Lately it seems like I have been going out to dinner and lunch more than usual. Last week I was out to lunch with a work colleague just after 11 a.m. When the server approached the table, she listed off the daily drink specials. It was 11 a.m. I wanted to say, “Geez, what do […]
A Quiet Place in the Bright Sunshine by Carol O.
I arrived at Tampa International Airport in October of 2007. I was a woman who would describe herself as being a very active sober member of AA since October, 1993. This woman has had the same sponsor since the beginning of her recovery. She also sponsors women and would express with conviction that the 12 […]
A Letter To Myself From My Higher Power, Anonymous
You seriously need to give yourself a break. You’ve spent so much of your life living in fear. Deep down, you know, truly know, that you are an infinite spiritual being having a temporary human experience. Why don’t you stop spending so much energy trying to deny this? You’ve been given the gift of addiction […]
A Goodbye to My Disease by Allison N.
So long you’ve been hidingDeep inside my brainSlowly taking control of meAnd making me insane. You’d make me think I was happyBut I’d always end up sadAnd in my deepest depressionI thought you were the only thing I had. You’ve made me lie to everyoneAnd deny that you are realBut despite my best attemptsI couldn’t […]
Comedy Intervention VI
He’s Baaaaack! Mark Lundholm will be performing at Turning Point of Tampa’s Comedy Intervention VI. Please check out information for the event online: https://www.facebook.com/events/609931695786106/ We hope to see you there.
Do You Scare Yourself Enough by Erinne L.
I recently conducted a telephone interview for an article for my company; my interview subject was the president of one of our divisions. I had never met her. I was new to the company. I could not believe she said yes. This was not even my primary job, just a lifelong wish to write and go […]
A letter from my disease by Evelyn W.
Evelyn, My long, lost friend, where have you been? I hear that you moved to Florida to actually get away from me. You left without even saying goodbye. No matter, really, because you packed some of me in your suitcase. (Remember the poems that your friend found that were from you-know-who? Ha ha, I snuck […]
Find Your Joy and Mind It by Erinne L.
My friend likes to say, “Find your joy and mind it.” When I first heard that, I understood it, but I thought, yeah, right, FIND it? Where is it? Was I born with it? I mean, yeah, I was a little bundle of joy for about a minute there. But somewhere along the way, I […]
Expectations by Ashley N.
When I got clean, I had a lot of expectations, many of which were not realistic. Now, after being clean for a while, I have learned a lot about expectations of others and myself. I expected that I was going into treatment and they had some kind of fairy dust or something to sprinkle on […]
Through Desperation I Gained Acceptance by Megan P.
From a promising adolescent with great athletic abilities, a charismatic personality, and intelligence, no one saw it coming. At the age of fourteen I consumed my first alcoholic beverage which produced a rapid snowball-like effect. I began a downhill descent; ultimately, I spiraled wickedly out of control and came to that ever-so-scary fork in the […]
Bending me to save you by Jamie T.
As far back as I can remember, my biggest punishment was to be alone. I hated it. I could have a room full of toys and as soon as I was put in there alone, I was miserable. I believe this is where my journey began. My relationships have always been the definition of who […]
Backyard BBQ Abstinent Recipe
Summertime is filled with spending time with our family and friends and often times includes a backyard BBQ. This week’s blog is a simple abstinent recipe that can be shared at the next BBQ/Pool Party that you attend. Marinated Grilled Fish 1 lb. fresh fish fillet 2 tsp. lemon juice 2 tsp. dill blend or […]
