Recently, at the ACA Regional Event in Boca Raton, Florida, members from the Strengthening My Recovery Meditation Meeting (WEB0120) had a chance to gather together.
For years, these friends had only seen each other on a screen - as live videos, as avatars or simply as a name. Now the experience was face-to-face. Just imagine all the various fears and feelings that can arise with stepping forward and saying, “Hi, I know you from Strengthening My Recovery …”
In Part 2 of this essay, members continue to explore their experiences:
Stephen H:
I had the wonderful opportunity to attend the recent ACA Conference in Boca Raton. Shout out to Elly C, of Delray Beach, whom I immediately found. Doing service, Elly advocated for me (since I had no ticket and the event was closed according to the Internet), hooked me up with Chris, and after some machinations I was admitted and attended this fabulous event.
Who knew South Florida was such a vibrant hub of recovering adult children?
Eileen, in Ossining, whose wife contacted me letting me know what our experience meant to her (and me).
Susannah V, from Bassam, Germany, flew across the sea. Leah P, Plymouth, Michigan, must have flown, too. We had a few nice talks. Boaz gets special applause for old fashioned hugs!! I watched Jim R get applause for service work but - surprise - we never did collide. We never met face-to-face. Something to look forward to!
Elly C:
What an incredibly wonderful experience to witness my favorite people from our Strengthening My Recovery Zoom meeting, spontaneously transform from electronic squares into real life humans! It was such a delight, a privilege, and a pleasure to meet so many of them in person!
There were nearly twenty of us at the Boca Raton Regional/ACA Conference. What was so lovely - it gave me an opportunity to cement real friendships in real time, to get to know my fellow travelers’ histories a bit, and to have free-flowing recovery discussions. I now feel even more connected to the fellow travelers that I was lucky enough to meet in person! And in closer contact, and with even greater recovery, support, and encouragement! Truly an inspiring opportunity not to be missed!
Annie D:
I have recently moved from the northeast of the USA to South Florida and have been attending meetings in the area. I was so excited to hear about the ACA conference in Boca Raton - a Fellowship event of such magnitude; so many fellow ACA’s being in one place, at one time.
I did not think twice and registered immediately. It was not until the weekend of the event I started to feel a little uncomfortable, realizing I really did not have my peers in this area like I did up north in New Jersey. I was going alone. In the workshops, I did not have anyone to sit with. But that was not going to stop me because I wanted to integrate into my new home and my new fellowship. What is more, I was excited to experience the various workshops that were scheduled in the conference.
On Friday evening, I went to the opening meeting and found my seat in the large room. It felt good to be in a room filled with other ACA’s.
During the introduction, various service members stood as they were introduced by the Master of Ceremonies. To my joy and delight, a few rows in front of me was Jim R from New York. We had only experienced each other at the SMR morning meeting through Zoom. We had never met in person. I knew I was going to say hello and introduce myself after the meeting.
He was talking for some time, and I finally had the opportunity to say “Hello”. I was met with such a warm loving welcoming hug and greeting. I believe our interaction was divinely aligned when our paths crossed because I needed that connection and that interaction with my virtual ACA peer, and it came at just the right time! I left that evening feeling connected and very much “a part of”.
Thank you, ACA and all my fellow travelers on this journey, for your kindness, love, and inclusion.
In summary:
Going from online to the real-world is an extraordinary opportunity, one that may offer amazing and unexpected experiences. Online connections are not necessarily superficial or distant. Those relationships are what you make them. And while it may seem as though you will never meet in person, there at the Boca Raton event, we met, for the first time, Annie from New Jersey, who started the Strengthening My Recovery online meeting well over three years ago. It was definitely due to a limitless and loving Higher Power!
Jim R