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AL
We will post something NEW each month – and we need YOUR contributions!
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– NEW TOPIC needs YOUR share! |
Post greetings and messages –congratulate a member on an
anniversary, thank your sponsor or another member, send a holiday greeting
... or??? NEW CARD – click here! |
This area is for
YOUR writing – poetry, essays, or other forms of
sharing – please contact us
to contribute! |
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“Barefoot” board
- for YOUR topics! |
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This web site is for YOU – District 5 members and members from around the world – and
we created this page as one way for YOU to share your experience, strength and
hope with other visitors to this site! The
bulletin board and area for sharing can be another way to facilitate a “loving
interchange of help among members.” You can share your
writings, ideas, thoughts, wisdom, humor, poetry, questions, sayings,
gratitude, topics for meetings, “learning experiences” you’ve had,
congratulations to others, art – anything Al-Anon related that you would like
to share! To share on this page, please
send us an e-mail
at afgdistrict5@gmail.com!
Please note that in keeping with
Al-Anon’s Traditions and
principles – we can not post messages or information about groups, programs or
enterprises other than Al-Anon, no
matter how worthwhile they may be. We can not post quotes or material from
literature that is not Al-Anon “conference approved”
literature. We can not post full names or personal contact information for you
or for others, so please include either your first name, first name/last initial,
or initials; or you may post as “anonymous” or with a non-identifying nickname
(e.g. “Serenity Sam.”)
You are
welcome to share your personal experiences and feelings related to
messages posted by others. Please consider
that in Al-Anon, we share our experience, strength and hope to help others and
ourselves; we do not provide direct advice to others, or tell another person
what to think, what to do or how to act. Please feel free to share things that
you have learned at meetings or from others – but please remember that personal
information and stories that you hear from others in meetings must not be
repeated outside of the meeting.
DISTRICT 5 Al-ANON BULLETIN BOARD
To share on this bulletin board, please
e-mail us at afgdistrict5@gmail.com.
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Topic: |
SPONSORSHIP! Calling
All Members – Share YOUR experience with sponsoring others, being sponsored,
what sponsorship means to you, tips for sponsoring or being sponsored, or
other ideas - please e-mail afgdistrict5@gmail.com
to send YOUR share about “sponsorship!” |
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Date posted |
Messages |
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Topic: |
Progress Not Perfection - please e-mail afgdistrict5@gmail.com
to send YOUR share about “progress not perfection!” |
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Date posted |
Messages |
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05/15/08 |
Progress
not perfection reminds me to try to be the best me I can be,
rather than to try to attain unrealistic goals or strive to fulfill an image
of what I imagine others may expect of me or of what I imagine “perfect” would
be like. “Progress” reminds me to take action, not to just wait and hope for
situations to improve but to actively work to make change happen. Not
perfection reminds me to practice acceptance, have realistic expectations,
and to keep trying to do the right things regardless of whether the outcome
is exactly what I wanted it to be. By practicing the Steps and principles of
the Al-Anon program, I make progress. Even if the progress is not always
consistent and never will be perfect, and even though there will always be
things I will never be able to change no matter how much I may want to change
them, I can make progress towards changing the things I can change and
towards being a better me. ~ Judy A., |
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Topic: |
CHANGING
RESENTMENTS - Resentments can be tough to live with AND
tough to change – but the tools of Al-Anon can help! How have you dealt with
resentments - what has worked for you, what challenges have you found, what
difficulties are you working on? Please e-mail afgdistrict5@gmail.com
to send YOUR share about “changing resentments!” |
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Date posted |
Messages |
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02/21/08 |
I came to Al-Anon deeply resenting that I
had been told to come to Al-Anon!
However, my son was in Dawn Farm treatment program and I felt I had
to cooperate with everything that was recommended in order to be able to help
my son recover from drug addiction. All I wanted was for my son to get clean
and sober. It took me weeks to be able to relax enough to really listen to
what was said at meetings. Eventually I started hearing that “detachment” was
not abandonment or lack of caring, that “letting go” was not giving up or
refusing to provide appropriate help at the right times, and that others in
Al-Anon deeply cared about their loved ones but had learned the differences
between what they could and could not change about the circumstances that led
them to Al-Anon. Detachment with love has helped me to accept the situation
as it is (my son is in relapse) without resentment, and to keep the doors
open while setting limits and not enabling his disease. I am grateful to
Al-Anon for helping me to love my son while hating what his disease does to
him, and for helping me to have hope for our future instead of despair over
the present. ~ M.W.; |
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01/22/08 |
Here is how Al-Anon helps me to change resentments: - Working the Steps helps me identify
the resentments I have and their causes. It also helps me to identify how I
respond to things that cause me to have resentments, and what my role is. - I may not be able to change the
things I resent, but I can change my responses, and the Steps, slogans and
other program tools help me to respond with acceptance, love and forgiveness
to things I otherwise might feel resentful towards. - Al-Anon helps me to see that not
everything is about me, and to not take things personally. Resentments don’t
last as long or seem as bad when I realize things are not personal. ~ Amanda |
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01/22/08 |
Changing Resentments: I sometimes resent people who have what I want. I have
problems with not wanting to let go of material possessions. I save way
too much because I might need it later or it is too good to let go of. Three of my family members have no problem tossing out or passing on. I am working on letting a family member help me sort thru and pass on material items I can't let go of. Only because of Al-Anon am I even letting this person help me. ~ Mary |
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SERENITY - please e-mail afgdistrict5@gmail.com
to send YOUR share about “serenity!” |
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Date posted |
Messages |
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11/01/07 |
Serenity: Serenity for
me is about feeling like I can deal with what happens. I may not be able to
make things go my way, but I will be able to make good decisions and cope
with the outcomes. Al-Anon helps me to have the tools to do this. Before, I
would expend all my energy trying to make things come out “right.” Today I
know that all I can do is do my best to do the right things; I have no
control over how those things will turn out. To me, serenity is truly about
accepting the things I can not change while having the courage to do the
right thing even when it’s hard to do. Sometimes this means taking action and
other times it means letting go. I make the best decision I can and feel OK
with that. To me that’s serenity. Thanks for letting me share. ~ Julie K. |
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Topic: |
GRATITUDE Every day is a good day for gratitude - please
e-mail afgdistrict5@gmail.com
to send YOUR share about “gratitude!” |
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Date posted |
Messages |
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01/21/08 |
Gratitude. So much to
put down. I shall begin. I shall not finish, because living life is an
ongoing experience, lesson. I'm grateful to be alive, to live each day as it unfolds. I'm grateful for a Higher Power, whom I chose to call God. I'm grateful for the fellowship of Al-Anon. Thanks to the founders of
A.A. and Al-Anon for my life today. I'm grateful that I can live each day according to the suggested
Steps, Traditions, and Concepts of Al-Anon. Is it difficult? YES! Can I do it
perfectly? I could go on and on. Suffice it to put it down on paper for now. Keep coming back to the meetings. It's worth it because YOU are
worth it. Peace. Kathy S. |
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09/15/07 |
Gratitude: When my son's drug and alcohol addiction began
to consume him, I became consumed with trying to help him get better. I was terrified
he would die, and so did everything I could think of to try to get him to
stop drinking and using drugs, and to protect him meanwhile. When my son
finally accepted help at a local treatment center, I was forced to sit back
and let others help him. I am grateful to Al-Anon for helping me to let go so
he could get the help he needed.
I am grateful to have my son back, and I will be forever grateful to
Dawn Farm and A.A. for helping my son get well. I am grateful every day for
how Al-Anon helps me to learn, change and grow. ~ Jen. |
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09/09/07 |
An Attitude of Gratitude. I remember the first
time I used this term when conversing
with my Mom early in my recovery. She seemed surprised, as I rarely expressed anything other than negativity
pre-program. And I was surprised,
too, because I remembered wondering when I began my journey of recovery if I would EVER learn the
'jargon'. It was like a foreign language to me - all the talk of Steps & Slogans & Traditions, Oh, my!!
I think that the term
'spirituality' was a big motivator for my new Attitude of Gratitude. I am
forever grateful that this miraculous
program lead me to the God of MY understanding, and that this new-found HP of mine continues to guide me
and prompt me to work this program so
I can continue, one day at a time, to
practice the Al-Anon principles in all my affairs. After my Mom passed
away, we came across a notebook that
I believe she started after we had that conversation about gratitude. She was not in a program of
recovery, but she began to
list 3 things a day that she was grateful for! I don't write in my gratitude book as faithfully as I
could, yet when I do pick it up - and if I'm not in an especially serene a spot as I'd like to be, writing in my
gratitude journal always gives
me some inner peace. And I like to think that my Mom experienced some of that,
too. Thank YOU for being here! Create a BEYOU tiful day!! ODAT
xooxxooxox ~ Diane B. |
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09/03/07 |
Gratitude:
I have so much to be grateful for. Al-Anon has saved my life many
times. I made a major job change 17 years ago and I have been blessed
because of this decision. I would not have been able to do this
without the "Higher Power," the Al-Anon program and many
supportive Al-Anon friends. My husband found recovery 22 years ago.
Thanks to Al-Anon and AA we will celebrate 50 years of marriage in
2008. This would not have been possible without both programs. I
continue to work the program "One Day at a Time”. Thank you for listening!!
Lots of Hugs, ~ Mary Lou. |
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“BAREFOOT”
TOPIC board – Please e-mail
afgdistrict5@gmail.com
to share about YOUR topic! |
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Date posted |
Messages – this board is for YOUR topics! |
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MESSAGES:
CONGRATULATIONS,
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Greetings and Messages |
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Date posted |
Messages |
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07/01/08 |
Mary Sue S. - Congratulations and Happy 5th
(MAGNIFICENT!)
Al-Anon Anniversary – Thank you
for sharing your experience strength and hope with so many of us!!! Please
click here for a card from
District 5! |
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05/21/08 |
Gratitude for a
successful 2008 Michigan State Al-Anon Convention in |
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05/21/08 |
Mary Lou L. - Congratulations and Happy 25th
(AWESOME!) Al-Anon
Anniversary – Thank you for
your service to District 5 and to Al-Anon!!! Please click here for a card from District 5! |
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04/18/08 |
Lynn M. - Congratulations
and Happy 18th (WOW!) Al-Anon
Anniversary – Please click here
for a card from District 5! |
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01/01/08 |
Happy
New Year from District 5 Al-Anon – wishing peace and serenity to everyone,
everywhere, one day at a time. Please click here! |
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ARCHIVED MESSAGES |
Archived Winter 2007 |
WRITINGS, ART and
OTHER EXPRESSIONS by AL-ANON
MEMBERS
This area is for YOU to
share your original work – poetry, essays, art or other forms of expression. Serious or
humorous, your expressions are welcome - please e-mail us at afgdistrict5@gmail.com
to contribute!
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Member’s writings |
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Date posted |
Writings |
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11/19/07 |
A letter to my alcoholic Father – by Donna C .... I wrote this letter
when I was 28 years old ... I am now 60 and I still read it and understand
the burdens we as alcoholic children endure. The pain never goes away
even after the person dies. The drink was so much a part of us
and our childhood that it is still part of you now ... (please
click here to continue
reading Donna’s letter and sharing!) |
To share on this bulletin board, please e-mail us at
afgdistrict5@gmail.com!
click here to
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