By: Kira L.
Residence XII Alumnae Committee President
Is sobriety all that we can expect of a spiritual awakening? No, sobriety is only a bare beginning.
As Bill Sees It. P. 8
“Practicing the AA program is like building a house. First, I had to pour a big, thick concrete slab on which to erect the house: that to me, was the equivalent of stopping drinking. But it’s pretty uncomfortable living on a concrete slab, unprotected and exposed to the heat, cold, wind and rain. So I built a room on the slab by starting to practice the program. The first room was rickety because I wasn’t used to the work. But as time passed, and as I practiced the program, I learned to build better rooms. The more I practiced, and the more I built, the more comfortable, and happy, was the home I now have to live in.”
Daily Reflection 1/02
This reading reminded me how my “sobriety house” has been built, and how grateful I am for the room in my house that is built around the love and support available within the Residence XII alumni community. When I first completed the Residence XII program one of the messages I heard loud and clear, was that I needed to build a support system and that abstaining from my addictive patterns was not going to be sufficient to maintain healthy recovery. It began with doing the things I heard in treatment that I needed to do, like going to meetings, getting a sponsor, a homegroup, and a service position. I did these things and began to build the rooms on the foundation of my sobriety. After a few years into my sobriety my higher power brought a sponsor into my life who taught me about a resource for building additional rooms that I was not aware existed. She helped me to understand how I could reconnect with Residence XII through the alumni community and the incredible support system and opportunities for service it provides. I learned that I could participate on panels, the monthly potlucks, and help organize alumni sponsored events like the retreat, candle light, and the picnic. Getting involved with these things introduced me to many new women committed to maintaining their sobriety, and offered the incredible rewards of being of service to women beginning their sobriety journey.
I wanted to share this story in hopes that women who read this are made aware of the alumni community at Residence XII. It is an incredible resource and that connection can help you to build rooms on your own foundation to protect your sobriety. If you are new to sobriety do not wait two years to take advantage of the experience within this community to help build your rooms like I did. If you are farther down the road but have not participated consider taking part in some of the opportunities. You never know when it is going to be important to have a strong house. This last year has been full of challenges in my life that have exposed me to all the elements and despite how stormy it got I always knew I could retreat to my protective sobriety home and for that I am eternally grateful.