I arrived in Al‑Anon two years ago. I looked it up on the internet because I was desperate. My husband was no longer working and had been drinking off and on for three years. He would stop and then start again. By the time I showed up in Al‑Anon, I couldn’t take it anymore. Our only daughter had just graduated from college, and we had all gone out to dinner with family from out of town. My husband chose that night to start drinking again. He brought booze with him to her graduation ceremony. My daughter was in tears—this was it. I needed help—and fast. I wanted somebody to tell me to leave him, to tell me what to do. Instead, I was encouraged to work on myself. Wow—that wasn’t what I wanted to hear. But the Welcome helped me feel that I was in the right place. I learned that I didn’t cause my husband’s drinking, that I couldn’t control it, and that I could not cure it. I also came to see that I matter. When the Closing was read, I remember the words— “Though you may not like all of us, you’ll love us in a very special way—the same way we already love you.” That made me feel good. I felt safe. No one told me what to do; I thought that was what I needed, but I was wrong. Thank you, Al‑Anon. I keep coming, and I am living one step and “One Day at a Time.”

By Ann C., Connecticut

The Forum, July 2018