AA Rally.

My partner got home late last night from an AA rally he'd attended - he'd driven over to the town where we once lived, and seen many of the people with whom he'd started in AA.

One had only just gotten back in after a slip; he'd lost probably 50-60 pounds, was drawn, gaunt and shaky. This man had been someone with whom my partner had some of his first struggling to-understand-AA conversations, and he was shocked to see his condition.

A couple of days ago, a new man in one of my partner's meetings was encouraged to come to the rally, and he did. As it happened, he was the person at the rally with the shortest time sober in AA - 8 days, and he was called to the front to accept a Big Book from the man with the longest time - 48 years. My partner spoke movingly of how touched he had been by the response of this new member to being recognised and encouraged.

My partner has recently had one of those massively huge and stunning realisations granted to us by our Higher Power when we really work our program, and his face glowed when he talked of how much more connected he felt this time to the AA members at the rally - some roadblock to his heart has been removed, and he's much more open and willing. It's a beautiful sight.