Hi, my name is Anne and I am truly an alcoholic. I feel inspired to start my day and this letter to fellow- alcoholics with this opening.

I will be sober six months on the 3rd August 2009. My last drink/drunk was the 2nd February 2009. I feel honoured to have found AA, albeit I was literally dragged/pulled/pushed but not forced up the stairs to my first meeting with my legs shaking, absolute terror in my whole body and tears streaming down my face. I wanted and needed help. I say this to benefit or help any newcomer who arrives whichever or whatever way they come to AA as no doubt for me, what I have heard and listened to in my short months is that we have our own paths in this life. And for me AA is a new life, new friends, new places, new thoughts, new feelings and new temptations. But my big inspiration is I am truly grateful I did find a new way. It’s strange how I have all these new thoughts, new knowledge and wisdom rolling around in my head on a daily basis. Like my friend says ‘little nuggets of gold seeds in fields of barley’. We are but one tiny bit. AA is millions and millions of these and more, and by coming to AA and listening to each and everyone, we truly are God’s children with similar paths, journeys, albeit so different. The phrase ‘Keep Coming Back’ means so much to my recovery that at the end of a meeting when someone says that, I actually want to come back and I do to this day.

I help at a meeting where I started doing simple things like dishes, hoovering, putting out chairs once a week and I soon want to be honoured to co-open. Hand on heart I want to. I want and need to put something back into AA as I owe my life on a daily basis for all that it has given and shown me so far, so for me to say that simple phrase to a newcomer or anyone at all, ‘keep coming back’ is so important because it has worked for me, and again, to be honest, the amount of people who I have never even met before saying this to me personally, inspires me to honour their request and then they add the word “PLEASE”. When I fell to the floor on my last drunk “PLEASE GOD HELP ME” was my first word.

I could write and write forever and never be at the end of my sheets of paper, just like I will keep going to AA (on a daily basis), never tiring of the knowledge and wisdom I need for my recovery. But the most important part for me is the welcome I receive (on a daily basis) from one of God’s children, no matter where I go, inspires me to stay (on a daily basis). This for me, it’s what I pray, and for me I am willing to receive any help just on that particular day.

Thank you AA
Ann, Edinburgh

P.S. I received my first welcome in a foreign land in Marmaris in Turkey in June this year and this has inspired me to seek out AA wherever and whenever I can in God’s world.

Thank you again