That's what I have been told anyway. Tonight I went to my regular Tuesday night Beach House meeting. I was going to have to chair because our regular guy had another out of town commitment. I am already the coffee maker and I really didn't want to chair-but would if I had to. On the way the chair calls me and tells me he missed his ride and would I pick him up for the Beach meeting. COOL. I'm off the hook! YAY! So I pick him up, set up the coffee and go outside to smoke with my beloved drunks until the meeting begins.
Up the ramp walks an older lady with a younger woman. The younger of the two meekly asks if anyone has a cigarette. I must be honest when I heard her ask I thought geez-she can't even say hello and bums a cig right from the get go. Whats her problem? The older woman (who turned out to be this girls Mom) went inside and I started to realize that this woman was in a pretty bad place. She was groggy, shaking, smelling like I used to smell. She had just been released from the hospital and was at her first meeting in a long time. She asked the three of us how long we have been sober and when we told her she looked at us in awe and asked "how do I do it, when will I not feel like this?" She told us she was scared. She didn't want to die. We gave her a meeting book with our phone numbers and told her to USE these numbers and just keep coming to meetings.
When it was time for the meeting to begin, I stood her up and led her in (I was afraid she was going to fall over) and she stopped short of going through the door where the meeting is held. She said she was scared. I told her everyone in that room has been where she is and not to worry, I would sit with her if she wanted. She wanted. She grabbed my hand and didn't let go until break time. After the break we give out chips for various lengths of sobriety. I convinced her to go up and get a newcomer chip. She hesitated, but did go up and get it. She came back to sit down with a smile on her face. When she got the opportunity to share, she told everyone exactly what she should have. She was newly sober, she was scared and she didn't want to die.
I believe that God put that woman in my life for a reason. If the evening went like it was supposed to, I would have had to chair the meeting and I would not have been able to hook up with her. I plan on taking her to a women's meeting tomorrow and want to try to help her if I can. After all, what would have become of me if no one reached out to ME when I first came in? I want to give back what has been freely given to me. That's how the miracle happens. We try to help other alcoholics to achieve sobriety. I will pray for my new friend tonight, pray that she gets well. I freakin love this program!
