I can’t make past wrongs disappear, but I can take actions that will help me to let them go. When I make amends, I do what I can to correct the situation. Then I an put the past in its rightful place and leave it there.

It takes practice to learn to love unconditionally. An exceptional opportunity to put this new way of relating into effect is by volunteering to help an Al-Anon group through service work. Every contribution has value for the group and enables us to grow as individuals.

We hear a lot in Al-Anon about unconditional love. Such love makes no demands, exacts no payment, has no expectations. We are free to give it without anticipating or even wanting anything in return because the experience of loving in this way is so rewarding in and of itself that we are grateful for the opportunity.

It is as if a group of four stood in a river, getting drenched while holding the alcoholic over their heads to keep him or her dry, and eventually one member of the group refused to continue to hold up his or her end.

One of the most important things I have learned is that I don’t know it all.  The comforting truth today is that I don’t have to, and I don’t have to figure it all out alone.

Remember, we are only asked to take an inventory, not to do anything about what we learn.  If we trust in our Higher Power and the guidance of our sponsor, these issues will be dealt with in a loving way as we continue to work the Al-Anon program of recovery.

Somebody once said “The only difference between stumbling blocks and stepping stones is in how you use them.”  It’s a comforting thought that nobody can put stumbling blocks in my way, because I’m learning how to use them to step on as I progress to a saner way of living.

Emotional survival skills also can alter the way we see past events and relationships.  When memories of horrors from the past are too shocking or painful, we may unconsciously block them out.  We simply don’t remember.  Even if we fervently wish we could remember, these memories remain locked away, continuing to control our lives by limiting or altering our behavior.

We have a right to expect more from life than mere survival.  We are here because we are ready to heal.  We are ready to look at ourselves and our lives with new eyes.  We are ready to become aware.

We do not claim that working the Al-Anon program has eliminated all challenges and problems, but we have found effective new ways to handle them.

Our goal is to build healthy, respectful relationships. By applying the Al-Anon slogan, “Let it begin with me,” we can see that it is not good enough to wait for others to treat us well before we are considerate of them.

I can acquire the knack of searching out the good, and concentrating on it.

The most important thing I’ve learned in Al-Anon … is that my well-being cannot depend upon whether or not the alcoholic drinks.  His behavior is not a reflection of me, it’s a reflection of his disease.

A poll of the one hundred or so groups in existence in 1951 led to the adoption of the Twelve Steps as a way of life for Al-Anon members.  Later, the groups accepted an adaptation of A.A.’s Twelve Traditions as a framework within which to operate.

Simply put, I’ve heard in Al-Anon that to keep what I’ve gained, I must give it away.  Interpreted more broadly, it might be said that to preserve our priceless legacy, we must invest in each other.

Am I too busy to pray?  Have I no time for meditation?  Then let me ask myself whether I have been able to solve my problems without help.