I saw her walk in the room today just as the meeting started. I paid little notice, only that she was accompanied by another woman and they had a bag with large lunch sandwiches. When the meeting chair asked if anyone was new, she raised her hand and said, "I'm coming back." We yelled out our welcomes.

I then recognised her name and voice. She looked a lot different but she was a regular attendee at a meeting I used to go to for several years. She didn't say another word, just ate her sandwich with her friend (sponsor?). I thought that was a good sign, hunger. During the shares, some said that they were glad she was back. I was glad, too. I am always glad when an alkie returns after some research in the scary netherworld of alcoholism. I can usually get a feel of the pain and hopelessness from the returnee. 

Nobody ever defeats King Alcohol. Alkies always lose.

The returnee looked like she lost bad, like she went 12 rounds. Literally. The bruises could not tell the whole story but they clearly showed the severity of it.

Back in the day, I attended a lot of meetings with her. She always shared, often about various problems: family, work, financial. She had a good grasp of the AA program. She spoke well, somehat assertively. She spoke loudly. She had a very honest outlook of her alcoholism and destructive behaviors. She had the program of AA. And she shared it. A bit on the evangelistic side, though. Like some pre-oldtimers are. She was pushy. Sales/business background, I think.

I appreciated her honesty then. She was willing to see her part in her destructive behaviors. And I wished I could be as confident in my sobriety as she was in hers.

Hadn't seen her in many years. She wasn't pushy or confident today. Still, I learned from her again.

Maybe she will have the program again.