They are servants. Theirs is the sometimes thankless privilege of doing the group's chores. TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 134
In Zorba the Greek, Nikos Kazantzakis describes an encounter between his principle character and an old man busily at work planting a tree. "What is it that you are doing?" Zorba asks. The old man replies: "You can see very well what I am doing, my son, I'm planting a tree." "But why plant a tree," Zorba asks, "if you won't be able to see it bear fruit?" And the old man answers: "I, my son, live as though I were never going to die." The response brings a faint smile to Zorba's lips and, as he walks away, he exclaims with a note of irony: "How strange -- I live as though I were going to die tomorrow!" As a member of Alcoholics Anonymous, I have found that the Third Legacy is a fertile soil in which to plant the tree of my sobriety. The fruits I harvest are wonderful: peace, security, understanding and twenty-four hours of eternal fulfillment; and with the soundness of mind to listen to the voice of my conscience when, in silence, it gently speaks to me, saying: You must let go in service. There are others who must plant the harvest.
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I realize the title is "trusted servants' but here's what catches my eye:
When I was drinking I lived as if there were no tomorrow - lied, cheated, back stabbed, cussed out, fought, whatever (my ex husband didn't call me Tazmanian SHE Devil for nothing!), I didn't care who I hurt, it was all about me! And I always came to with that emotional hangover of shame and guilt that I had to 'live with' until enough time passed and it got better, until of course the next drunk!
AA & sobriety has taught me that even though it's just for today, I must live today as if I will live forever. That there will be a tomorrow. Doing the next right thing today ensures that I will not have that emotional hangover tomorrow. Taking my 10th step inventory nightly makes me aware of what needs work. Instead of having to hide from the people I hurt, I can wake up knowing that I have harmed no one, including myself! I can look us all in the eye....
I love this program.....being sober is the biggest high I've ever experienced.... I cherish my sobriety.....and my lifelong goal is to die sober.
Thanks for letting me share.
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Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass... It's about learning to dance in the rain.
"A civilization flourshes when people plant a tree under whose shade they will never sit." - Greek Proverb
I believe that this program helps us learn to be more giving, because when we are thinking of how we can benefit others, we take less time fretting about ourselves.
Yea Jen-Your back!!!!! Thanks for posting today as I guess I forgot about it! Good timing I guess!
I really believe that we do plant the seeds in the lives of all those we touch! Hopefully it is a seed of honesty, love, respect, serenity, hope........the list could go on and on! We definitely lead by example in all we do! A smile "seed", hopefully will bring a smile seed back to us!
Have a great day! Lani
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"We tend to forget that happiness doesn't come as a result of getting something we don't have, but rather of recognizing and appreciating what we do have. "
