Where CAL Comes From
When I started attending Al‑Anon, I didn’t concern myself with where our literature came from. I was just grateful that members gave me a packet of it at my first meeting and that it provided the same kind,
Writing as an Act of Service
One of the ways the family disease of alcoholism shows up in my life is that, if I’m not paying attention, I can find myself ruminating. I get stuck on a hamster wheel of compulsive thinking, trying to
Loving My Daughter, Hating the Disease
After years in the Al‑Anon program without much recovery, I was finally able to accept Step One and admit my powerlessness over alcoholism with the help of my Higher Power. My denial had been deep, but last year
A Precious Gift
I recently received a letter from my oldest stepdaughter. I was very surprised by her heart-felt thoughts and feelings about our relationship over the years. She was eight years old when I married her father. She has a
Removing My Rose-Tinted Glasses
When I broke up with my first boyfriend after five years together, my mother arrived to move me back home. On our 12-hour drive, we would go hours at a time not speaking as I silently cried. Once,
Alateen Preamble, Revised at Last!
In September 2017, the Literature Committee received requests for revisions to the Alateen Preamble, while at the same time the Associate Director—Group Services at the World Service Office initiated a similar inquiry. Concerns were that the existing Preamble
The Area Annual Alateen Recertification Is in Progress!
Have you recertified as an Al-Anon Member Involved in Alateen Service (AMIAS)? Have you verified your Alateen group information? Every year, each Area in the World Service Conference Structure is required to take part in the Annual Alateen
Let’s Explore the “Service Manual”!
When I joined Al‑Anon, the Service Manual did not exist in its present form. My group had a small three-ring binder in “the box” that held these four separate books—the pieces that now comprise the Service Manual—together in
This Must Be Serenity!
From as far back as I can remember, I lived with constant anxiety. As a person affected by the family disease of alcoholism, I worried about everything and lived in a constant state of fear. I chewed my
A New Way of Thinking
Alcoholism first affected me late in life. When my adult daughter started attending A.A. meetings, one of the members there suggested I attend Al‑Anon. I was so anxious to “help” her that I soon found a meeting. At
Neither Blame nor Credit
As the mother of an alcoholic adult daughter, I carried the guilt of “if only….” If only I had raised her differently, spoken differently to her, given her more attention, more structure, or less structure, I could have
What Is an Informed Group Conscience?
A “group conscience” is taken when a group decision needs to be made. It can be regarding any number of things, such as changing the group name, the meeting time and place, finances, or any other decision. Some