Where do I begin!
MY name is Adele and I remain a very grateful recovering alcoholic. “Where do I begin?”, was my initial thought. I sat staring at my blank sheet of A4 paper, pen poised, but willing to do Step Eight honestly and to the best of my ability. I said a silent prayer asking for guidance and got lost in my thoughts about the journey of my life. It wasn’t long before my pen began to work over the paper, identifying people that I had hurt through my alcoholic behaviour. I wrote down the name of each person, and beside it, what I had said or done to affect and hurt them.
As I continued writing, my memory widened as in a trap door, and more and more people came to mind. Some of these I had affected badly as, for example, my closest family members, and others included those whose friendships I had ruined or lost altogether. My list grew longer, until I came to a natural stop when I put down my pen. I felt tired, but happy with relief. In the following weeks, I remembered others I had affected and harmed in some way or another, and even today a distant memory will pop into my head.
I found this Step crucial to my spiritual health. It felt cleansing and prepared me to go forward to the next Step. I acknowledge that everyone’s journey is different, but speaking for my own, I found that writing my list was one of the most powerful things that I have ever done, and I am so glad that I did it. It took me from denial and fear to confronting the past, working towards truth, and finding a way to putting matters right.
ADELE, Sandhurst Newcomers
