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Heard at a meeting
I can carry the mess or I can carry the message.
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Bring the body and the mind will follow is another version of suit up and show up.
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There's no such thing as taking a vacation from program...if you do, you pay dearly.
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I was told when you work the program you "feel better". I never imagined what would happen. They were right! I could feel my anger better, I could feel my sadness better. But I could also feel my joy better. I was no longer numbed out. Feeling feelings, good and bad, became the best part of my recovery.
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Coincidence is God's way of being anonymous.
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I don't know what my future holds, but I do know who holds my future...my HP.
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When it gets dark enough, you can see the stars (ODAT).
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Anything worth doing is worth doing "badly"...the only reason I'm making progress is that I'm willing to take risks, to make mistakes.
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DONE is better than PERFECT.
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I think enough of myself to think I'm worth making progress.
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WAIT...Why Am I Talking?
A closed mouth gathers no foot.
* * * The only reason I opened my mouth was to change feet.
* * * How many Al-Anons does it take to change a light bulb? None. They leave it alone and let it screw itself. |
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Dear Al-Anon or Alateen Member,
Welcome to the District 14 Al-Anon/Alateen Monthly Newsletter. This newsletter is created and distributed by Al-Anon members. Any member of Al-Anon or Alateen is welcome to contribute to this newsletter. |
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Recovery In Our Own Words
 A Share from Arati:
The person whose drinking I was most affected by was my mother. She was a beautiful, intelligent, creative woman, admired by many and known for hosting wonderful parties. And she was mean, cruel and I hated her. When I was eleven I came home from school and she was packing my bags to send me off to boarding school. I begged and cried and promised to be good...to no avail. This was my second time in boarding school. My first time was when I was eight.
In three weeks I am going to India. I have a one way ticket. I am excited and terrified at the same time. Balancing between excitement and fear is when I realize that the traumas of my past are still very much in the present. Somehow going to India is stimulating memories of being sent to boarding school. This is not the first time that this overlap or blending of past and present has occurred for me. I recognize the apprehension and fear. Fear of the unknown. Something bad is going to happen. I am going to experience emotional pain. I have lived with this sense of dread my whole life. So I get into the cycle of wanting to trouble shoot the future
I want to be safe, to know how I can create safety for myself. I long to hold myself gently with understanding and compassion, and to cradle myself in the Serenity prayer.
I am powerless over, and cannot change my past and the incidents that gave birth to this apprehension and fear that have stopped me many times from pursuing things that my heart so wanted to do. I take deep breaths. In this moment I am not afraid of my fear. I breathe deeply and pray for the serenity to accept where I am in this moment.
I pray for courage to do different. To find a gentle, self-loving way to live this dream. Like setting a return date so my inner child can experience emotional safety. To gently bring myself back to the present when my mind starts tripping out about what could happen in the future. To notice how today I am well cared for, I have a home, food, comfort. I pray for courage to continue moving one step at a time towards living the life I want to live. I experience this as being restored to my self. It is as if I am being given me.
And I pray for wisdom, for the insight to know and give voice to the difference between what my life was as a young person and what it is today.
God grant me the Serenity to accept the things I cannot change...I cannot change my past nor the experiences that I had as a child and the impact they have had on me.
The Courage to change the things I can...me today, to hold myself with gentle care and understanding.
And the Wisdom to know the difference...to be able to separate what was then from what is now. I am choosing to go to India. This is a place that I love. I have close friends there. "Go where you experience God" There are certain places that make that experience easier India is one.
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District 14 and Beyond News
 The District 14 Monthly Meeting is held the 1st Wednesday of each month from 7:30 -9:00 in the Lesher Auditorium at the John Muir Medical Center, Concord Campus, 2540 East Street, Concord. Preceded by Concept discussion at 7:00 pm. ALL are welcome. 
Items of Interest from December 7, 2011 District 14 Meeting - Contributions to District, NCWSA, and WSO:
Groups who have not yet contributed are encouraged to let the District know (though your GR or by a emailing district14newsletter@yahoo.com) if you are having difficulty meeting regular expenses. The District may have ideas to help.
- The Lierature Depot contributed $2000.00 to the District 14 coffers.
- Wednesday Night 7:00 pm Antioch Meeting could use support. Many newcomers attend and they could use the support of old-timers.
- Newsletter: GRs are encouraged to keep collecting email addresses (along with phone numbers so members can be called if their email address bounces). Submit new email addresses to: distict14newsletter@yahoo.com
 District Elections: Wynne is the Coordinator for the Literature Depot and Kathy has been elected to serve as Alternate, handling the bookkeeping for this vital service. We are still seeking service volunteers for the following very important District 14 positions. Please announce these openings at every meeting for the next several weeks and consider doing service yourself. Positions begin January 1st. Come to the next District 14 Meeting if you are interested in filling one of the positions. - Institutions
- Spanish Liaison
- Alateen Coordinator - Please note that our prior Alateen Coordinator has offered to serve as Alternatet Coordinator for Alateen and can lend support to whoever fills this very important position.
- CD Lending Library
- Archives
- December Speaker Meeting December 24th. We are still in need of volunteers for set-up, readings, and other duties at the meeting. EVEN IF YOU CANNOT ATTEND, please consider donating prizes for the drawing. It would be wonderful for anyone attending to go home with a nice remembrance of our love for them. Contact Kristine P. if you can help or want to donate a prize (925-407-6053)
 Day in Al-Anon Needs Silent Auction Items. Are you crafty? Do you quilt? Are you in the beauty industry? Are you a photographer? Do you have a lawn or cleaning business? Personal trainer? Yoga instructor? Meditation classes? Here are some other ideas for donations: small kitchen appliances, camping or sports gear, recovery related items, I-pods or other electronics, tools, gardening items, children's art supplies, bikes, or sporting gear. Gift certificates also are great: hair salon and spa services, yoga/pilates/exercise classes, sporting events, restaurants, retail stores. Please call Wynne @ 925-360-7971 to arrange for delivery of your items. All items must be dropped off no later than Friday, February 10th, 2012.
- Northern CA Council of AA Annual Spring Conference with Al-Anon participation. Carla attended the planning meeting for this conference and we are being asked to arrange for Al-Anon literature to be available at this conference. It will take place March 16-18, 2012 at the San Ramon Marriott. Volunteers will be needed for this important service. Flyer.
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Service Corner
Outgoing District 14 Officers and Coordinators express spiritual victories and gratitudes for their 3-year terms of service.
Some Samples (More Next Month)
Frannie (Lit Depot): Taught me how to ask for help; that I didn't have to do it alone. Found my voice. Learned that poor planning on your part doesn't have to be an emergency on mine.
Dan (DIA): Able to get up in front of people and speak. Learned I can make mistakes and that people do come forward to help--I just need to let them to their jobs.
Billie (GR): Service helped me commit to staying in program. Found that being a GR is a safe place to be--I'm no longer afraid to make mistakes.
Marilyn (Alateen): What a privilege and blessing to serve as Alateen Coordinator. It was both rewarding and inspirational; a miracle of love and peace in helping our children.
Carmen (GR): I could stay connected with the District and learn from the example of the District meeting how to run Spanish Intergroup meetings.
Linda (GR, Alt. Newsletter Coord.): I couldn't have imagined the life I have today before I came to Al-Anon. I now can carry the message, be an "attraction" for Al-Anon. I can't imagine not being in service.
Kristine (Speaker Mtg.): I didn't think I could do the job at all. But I put one foot in front of the other and found that I could succeed. I learned to have trust that others would step in to help.
Linda (GR): I enjoyed attending the Assemblies. I learned how many people are in service, the extent of service at all levels. I want to give back.
Johanna (Alt. GR): I'm a service junkie! I like associating with the "winners", not the "whiners".
Sue (Secretary): I learned that I could make a three-year commitment to service whether the alcoholic in my life was still drinking or not. I've really grown.
Yvonne (DR and Institutions): Thank you for the privilege of serving all of you. This time I let God decide what service I should do. I am very grateful to have been able to bring the message to those "inside", to those who haven't seen the stars for 20 years.
Check District 14 News section for positions that are still open. Please consider service to the district. Three-year positions go into effect January 1, 2012.
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Bienvenidos a Al-Anon y Alateen |
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Institutions Corner
 Words from the Inside: I don't know about God...but I know that in room's like this [Al-Anon meeting], the impossible becomes possible! Jason from Solano
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Alateen Corner
Alateen Sponsors needed:
More schools in our area have invited us to establish Alateen meetings for their students. BUT...we need Alateen sponsors in order for this to happen. Let's not let our children down. To become an Alateen sponsor in District 14, contact Marilyn G at 925-759-1452
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Upcoming Events
District 14 6th Annual Day in Al-Anon
When: February 11, 2012 Time: 8 am to 4 pm Where: Hope Center Covenant Church 2275 Morello Ave., Pleasant Hill
Childcare: Available with advance registration For additional Information: Johnnie H. at 505-259-8811 Suggested Donation: $10 for 18 and over, $5 for teens 12 to 17, and under 11 free. Coordinator Meetings: Next meetings are January 15, 2012 and February 5, 2012. All at Dan's house. Needed: Items for silent auction. See District 14 News section above for details. For More Information: Contact DIA Chair Dan at 925-284-5168. District 14 Speaker Meeting - December 24, 2011 ~ 6:30 p.m.  Guest Speaker: Dan M. (Al-Anon) from Alviso, CA Topic: Speaker What: Refreshments, Birthday Chips, Donation Drawing, Literature, Tape Library, Meeting recorded. Hosted By: District 14 Where: Walnut Creek Kaiser 1515 Newell Ave. Medical Office Bldg., Oak Room, 3rd Floor Flyer For Complete Listing of Events and Flyers: NCWSA Events
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Reflections from the Forum
Past Reflections
If you don't know what direction to take, you haven't acknowledged where you are. Anne, Oklahoma
Al-Anon's monthly magazine, The Forum, contains many personal stories of inspiration. Click on this link to subscribe to receive your own monthly "Meeting in Your Pocket." Only $11.00 a year.
Current Forum articles:
Family gatherings bring back my childhood holiday-time anxieties
Having grown up in an alcoholic home, I carry a good deal of baggage. Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's, and other family gatherings involved drinking and my parents' alcohol-fueled behavior. As a child, I felt frightened and confused.
I continue to experience anxiety during family celebrations, even though my parents are deceased and I am now in my senior years. Much of the old fear that I had about my parents' out-of-control drinking is now transferred onto my adult children.
My spiritual awakening-while worrying about my alcoholic daughter
I had been in Al-Anon for a good number of years when my alcoholic daughter disappeared into the streets of a major western city. For two years, I had no contact with her or anyone who knew her. I felt as though I was completely new to the program as my sense of powerlessness grew.
My life seemed to spiral out of control as I lost my self-focus. My obsession with her grew. I felt more and more detached from my Higher Power, though I prayed for my missing daughter-all for nothing, I thought.
Trusting the process of recovery
My 22-year marriage to a recovering alcoholic has been filled with times of peace and times of great calamity. There have been times when I felt very close to my Higher Power, and times when I wondered if He was there at all.
We recently moved to the spectacular central coast of California, to begin the next chapter of our life. I had to leave friends and family behind. I knew I had to get plugged back into Al-Anon meetings and start connecting to new people. There was a lot of fear and reservation associated with this process. As I learned in Al-Anon, I had to feel the fear and do it anyway. I had to trust the process of recovery.
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Contribute to this Newsletter
A few words from your share at a recent meeting, a thought you had while reading conference approved literature, your take on one of the Steps or Traditions. Any tidbit is welcome as long as you remember that we speak Al-Anon here, leaving other therapies and programs outside. Send your contribution to the Newsletter by email with "Contribution" in the subject line.
Submissions may be edited for length and grammar and will published at the discretion of the editors when space permits. Authors will be notified of changes to their submissions.
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Archives of Past Newsletters
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Sincerely,
Co-Editors: Karen, District 14 Newsletter Coordinator
Linda W, Alternate District 14 Newsletter Coordinator
Contact the Editors: district14newsletter@yahoo.com |
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Bienvenido al sitio web de Al-anon Familia Grupos para el Distrito 14 del norte de California del Servicio Mundial de la zona. Este sitio es creado y operado por el Distrito 14 miembros de Al-anon. Distrito 14 de límites se puede definir mejor el lugar de las reuniones que figuran en nuestra 
