Tuesday 18 October 2016

Friendship and when your sponsor relapses

Wishing to be friends is quick work, but friendship is a slow ripening fruit.  -- Aristotle

I've been back in OA for almost two years now and my sponsor has relapsed twice on a sustained basis.  The first time, we talked about it, and I learned quite a bit from seeing her process.  This time, she has vanished - not entirely, but mostly.  She hasn't been at meetings.  She hasn't responded to my text. 

Abandonment is one of the emotions that triggers me.  I stand on my head to keep a relationship even when it is not good for me, sometimes.  I am learning to let go more, seeing this clinging to relationships as a character defect of control. 

I know how hard this disease is first hand.  I do not have any blame or anger in my heart for my sponsor.  I wish things were different but I accept that I likely have very little influence on how they go.  I can pray for her.  I can be supportive and reach out.  But beyond that, there is nothing I can do.

It is vitally important that I do not let my focus hone in on other people and leave my own work undone.  So I let go.  I trust.  I do my own program.  And this level of self-protection and prioritization is relatively new for me.  It is not selfish to want to heal myself.  I deserve this attention and really it's the only thing I can reliably do.  God grant me the erenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can and the wisdom to know the difference.  That is my simple prayer.

Blessed be.

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