My first sponsor and I quickly formed a friendship in recovery. Not only did he walk me through the Steps, but he also listened to my self-centered fears and dramas that were common in my early recovery. We would drive together most nights to meetings all over town. Many late evenings were spent, after meetings, with me sharing my problem and my sponsor sharing about the 12 Steps. Over my years of sponsoring others, I have tried to emulate this simple relationship that helped build my personal recovery.
When I had been sober for a year and a half, I was faced with the news that my sponsor was moving back to the Northeast and I would need to get a new sponsor. This was one of those moments in recovery that could have gone two ways. I could choose to not get a sponsor, but I had seen what happened to those that thought they could sponsor themselves. These people tended to either drink again or become angry, depressed, restless souls.
Looking for a new sponsor, I felt like a newcomer again, but I was willing to do whatever it took to stay sober. In the end, I learned that change is a part of the recovery life. For me, it is vital that I always have a sponsor.
