The most beautiful thing I’ve experienced in recovery is that we are all loved, no matter what. I believe that is one of the fundamental teachings of the program. We must have unconditional love to our fellow alcoholics and addicts.
I came in a far cry from being an active member of the community. I was unwanted, I felt like an outcast. I was overwhelmed with my life and had doubt about recovery changing anything, But I saw miracles around me every day. Many of them came from darker places than I. Men and women shared their stories with me and gave me faith that things could get better. They didn’t see me as an outcast, nor did they treat me that way. It was comforting to hear my sponsor say, “We once felt like you also.”
What better than being around people who truly can relate to us? Where my lifestyle has taken me would appall some people who know little about recovery or addiction. But in recovery, I was accepted by my fellows.
Without my support group and fellowship, I don’t believe I would be sober today. It’s where I feel safe, and where I’ve been able to share address my fears, successes and failures. If no one was willing to give me a second chance, I wouldn’t be here. What a beautiful thing. The one place where race, religion, social class, political views, gender or age means nothing. It’s a lot easier to cut through the prejudice when sobriety is looked through the lens of life or death!
-Avinash E. Satz
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