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Post Info TOPIC: The one lesson my dad taught me
Larry_H


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The one lesson my dad taught me
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Today's thought from Hazelden is:

The one lesson my dad taught me:
If you're going to do anything in life, do it right.
--Monty Cralley

Our parents may have had a way of instructing that often bordered on shaming us. No matter what we might remember about it, or them, they meant well. Their own experiences colored how they parented us. This pattern was probably played out in our own parenting, too. We all did the best we could. None of us did a perfect job. But now that we have the time to contemplate the past, we might want to consider forgiving our parents if we still harbor any grudges. Or we might want to make amends to our children or other family members if we are able to see our own failings now.

We made tons of mistakes getting to an older age. Some were intentional; most were not. Do we have to redress all of them? Actually, we don't even have to acknowledge any of them. But if we do, we'll feel far better about ourselves and we'll have helped to break the cycle of the poor parenting we might have experienced.

We all have a chance to do something significant in life. This doesn't have to mean inventing a tool or a drug that will help millions of people. It's really quite easy. Smile at a stranger today, for starters. Consider putting aside an old grudge. Apologize for an unkind action.

I can do something really important today. Am I willing to examine how I treat other people?



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AGO


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One of the most important lessons I learned in AA was:

"Any job worth doing is worth doing poorly"

For an Alpha Male that was brought up to be better, smarter, faster then everyone else, that gave me permission to just do the best I could, on things like....my fourth step

we are so afraid we aren't going to do something perfectly, many times we never start

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Build a man a fire and he will be warm for a night, light a man on fire and he will be warm for the rest of his life
Just Toni


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Hi Larry,

Happy Fathers Day to you dear....

By chance the opportunity was there, so I did yet another amends to my oldest Son........his response was different than before...but I did not analyze it, just let it be, I had done my part, from my heart....

Hugs, hope you have a wonderful day today, allll day....

Toni

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Dave Harm


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Hi Larry,

I like this reading a lot. When I drank I never tried anything unless I knew I could get it right the first time.

Recovery has shown me that I can mistakes... but I am not a mistake. In fact, I needed those mistakes so I could grow...

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"A busy mind is a sick mind.  A slow mind, is a healthy mind.  A still mind, is a divine mind." - Native American Centerness

Creating Dreams, from the nightmares of hell...
mikef


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Hey Larry..I can reflect back to my father never being around except when I was in a jam,and that was most of his life from the time I was 12(my first alcoholic blackout being carried home foaming from allergy to he bottle of kentucky blended whiskey we so proudly robbed from the store).He was absent and I became absent but I always loved him(though I had many resentments)He died on may 4th 1983,a year and a half before I finally surrendered and began recovery.Today I went to gravesite,told him some jokes,wrote a letter,reflected back to his life and how it must have been for him,told him how I missed him and loved him and told him how the spiritual principles of the program,our solution and the God of my understanding has made me a better person one day at a time and I am still a work in progress.I also am who I am today because of who I was and because I work to remain teachable each day..I find parenting my 4 children has been another learning experience along the way.2 kids in their mid 40's and 2 in their mid 20's,and by being able to work 8th/9th steps with them I have renewed relationships that at times I thought were gone..Seems,for me, as long as I focus on loving the God of my understanding above all and my neighbors(others) to the best of my ability all will be well.There isnt a day that goes by that I dont ask for forgiveness and the ability to forgive..I dont know about if doing anything , and doing it right,if it is to the best of my ability and God centered ,for me,that seems to work....smile

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turninggrey


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My Dad was a "happy" drunk. There was not a mean bone in his body. He drank Four Roses whiskey, and always had a few high balls after work. AA saved his life, then he brought me to AA and saved mine. Thanks Dad.

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