Support

Today I am going to the the funeral of someone I have never met.  When I came into recovery I had never even considered doing such a thing, let alone doing it.  I'm fairly certain I would have thought it rude.  Since I have been in recovery I have gone to many funerals of people I'd never met.

You see, even though I didn't know the decedent, I do know her son.  We are in recovery together.  He happened to mention, at an ETA meeting last Friday, that his mom was very ill and would probably not live for more than a few days.  After the meeting I asked him his mom's name for two reasons: one, so that I could pray for her and her family and, two, so that I could look for her in the newspaper obituaries.  Sounds rather ghoulish, now that I've written it down but I assure you that my motives are pure.

I don't work and my days are, for the most part, free.  And my schedule is fairly flexible.  This means that I am available to do service work during the day.  So today I will go to the funeral home and sit quietly in the back, to be present, to share the incredible grief that comes when losing a parent.  Because that's what alcoholics and addicts in recovery do.  We are present when others feel that they are falling apart.  We are there to support sobriety for one of our fellows.  You taught me that by being there for me when my dad died.  You taught me that this is what we do; this is who we are.  May I remain ever grateful.

Have a good and sober day.