Accepting Help Some of us have felt so alienated that we've forgotten we're not alone. We've come to believe that we have to do it ourselves. Some of us have been abandoned. Some have gone without love. Some of us have gotten used to people never being there for us. Some of us have struggled, had hard lessons to learn. God's there, always ready to help. There is an ample supply of people to care about us too. We will, if we want it, receive love and support, comfort and nurturing. If we take the risk to ask for it, help is there. We can draw on the strength of our recovery group and allow ourselves to be helped and supported by our Higher Power, Friends will come, good friends. We aren't alone. And we don't have to do it ourselves. We're not doing it ourselves. There is no shortage of love. Not anymore. Today, God, help me let go of my need to do it alone and my belief that I am alone. Help me tap into Your Divine Power and Presence, and your resources for love, support, and friendship. Open my eyes and heart so I can see the love, help, and support that's therefor me. Help me know I am loved. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A.A. Thought for the Day Have I turned to a Higher Power for help? Do I believe that each man or woman I see in A.A. is a demonstration of the power of God to change a human being from a drunkard into a sober, useful citizen? Do I believe that this Higher Power can keep me from drinking? Am I living one day at a time? Do I ask God to give me the power to stay sober for each twenty-four hours? Do I attend A.A. meetings regularly? Meditation for the Day I believe that God's presence brings peace and that peace, like a quiet-flowing river, will cleanse all irritants away. In these quiet times, God will teach me how to rest my nerves. I will not be afraid. I will learn how to relax. When I am relaxed, God's strength will flow into me. I will be at peace. Prayer for the Day I pray for that peace which passes all understanding. I pray for that peace which the world can neither give nor take away.

Love is mutually feeding each other, not one living on another like a ghoul. -- Bessie Head Real love is compromise. It's sharing and taking turns. It's putting someone else's best interests first. Love wears many expressions and is demonstrated by many gestures. Offering love to someone, when the offer is genuine, benefits the giver as much as the receiver. Our calloused souls are softened by the gentle nature of our love. No one of us develops mentally and emotionally to our full stature if we cultivate isolation rather than intimacy. We learn who we are through our involvement with others. We come to terms with our defects and have opportunities to enhance our assets while experiencing the strengths and shortcomings of others. What time and patience teach is that love is generally slow to develop but will result when there is a mutual decision to live and grow in one another's company. Each person we genuinely love makes our own survival easier. My love is best expressed when I help someone else live life more comfortably.