January Almost Gone.

Hard to believe, isn't it? 

Today's reading in the ODAT had a phrase which resonated with me, about how Al-Anon is like a "spiritual common sense." It's not estoteric wisdom which can only be gained after a long trek up a distant mountaintop in the Andes, with thousands of pounds of gear, and much splashing out of resources, in order to consult a guru who is in retreat from humanity. It's common sense - when I do this, that happens.

When I reacted the way I used to, to alcoholic behavior, the result was insanity and no serenity. When I put my program into practise, not only is my life more manageable, but I will also find time to enjoy myself.

We don't have space here for me to do stained glass, so I've gone  back to my early art school days, and have been playing with watercolors. I did that tonight for about 3 hours, (surfacing only when my spouse arrived home from the AA rally all blissed out)
We looked at each other, and began to laugh - we recognised that we each wore an expression of contented delight - a shared moment of comfortable affection.

So life goes, rising and falling like sea waves on rock. Earlier in the week, I felt annoyed and tired in having to deal with alcoholic "isms" - the last few days, I'm enjoying myself, and feeling serene.

Through Al-Anon, I'm learning to let go of the stressful times as they pass, and not use them to bludgeon, shame or control another. I saw a sign today, as I was returning home from the art supply store:

"It's a waste of the future, to spend today, fretting about the past."