Bridge of Light
The space between “Me” and “I am”Is the place where wrong meets don’t belong.Self and identity, privileges deniedI struggle to breathe and learn to hide. Here on the shore of a foreign seaBuried treasure revealed at low tide sweepStarving gull pecks at scraps and...
How Ironic
Mother: “I would have had an abortion if I had known.” (You are not supposed to be here.) Father (after saying I will come home if he promises not to hit me): “I will not be blackmailed.” (Do not forget. You are not supposed to be here.) Husband: “No one wants to hear...
Vegetable Garden
(This is about a person and a learning experience which offered me comfort, calmness, and life skills.) Comfort was very difficult to find in my mother's house. For just the two of us were living there most of the time, it always felt chaotic and tense. I cannot...
Le rétablissement, c’est de faire autrement
J’ai collectionné de nombreuses phrases, qui me servent parfois de boussole. Par exemple : • Si je ne change pas, ma souffrance ne changera pas. • Si tu veux des choses que tu n’as jamais eues, fais des choses que tu n’as jamais faites. • « Plus » de la même chose...
Willing To Be Ready… Set And Go!
I have been in a Twelve Step Program for food for over 20 years, where, at my first meeting, newcomers were encouraged to get a sponsor right away and work the Steps. Having not been in a Twelve Step program before this one, I accepted the recommendation and was...
Join Us On Volunteer Day!
Sunday, November 6th, 12:30pm Eastern USA[Note that the clocks will ‘turn back’ that day.] Volunteer Day will introduce you to the ACA World Service Organization (WSO) - its committees and volunteers. We hope to inspire you and your meeting friends to volunteer, as...
Literature In Development Subcommittee Update
The Literature Committee has created two new subcommittees in the last year. One of these is the Language Subcommittee, chaired by Alexandra E from Sweden. That subcommittee is creating recommendations for language in our literature that is spiritually inclusive,...
Boundaries
As newcomers, we often feel the need to set boundaries with family or friends who don’t understand our program, who may give unwanted advice, or simply trigger our laundry list traits. I had a friend who criticized the way I taught my children manners (or lack...
The ACA “Laundry List” Describes Compliant Adult Children, Not Exiles Or Rebels
Only Trait 4 specifies substance abuse, as a way to cope. Addict/Alcoholic adult children do share the feelings—fears—in the traits, but they acted out as targets of abuse. I believe lumping defiant behaviors into the “Other Laundry List” isn’t satisfactory. All...
Volcano
Living with a volcano….He provides for us.He keeps us well fed, terrified,emotionally famished. The volcano explodesoften and unpredictably.Then just as suddenly,an eerie calm as if nothing happened. When will the volcano erupt?There’s no way to know.It just...