I didn’t realize how much I missed being around other people until I went to a NA birthday celebration tonight. Spare me the lecture about congregating in groups– this gathering was the CDC’s dream come true. We were outside. Chairs were at least six feet apart. There were gloves and masks. Giant jugs of hand sanitizer. No touching or hugging. All precautions were followed.
Happy three years clean to the birthday person! I don’t know if their recovery is public knowledge outside of the fellowship so I’m not going to name them. If they want to be recognized I’ll be happy to share their first name and last initial, but that’s totally up to them. Interestingly enough, their actual clean birthday was last month– the same day I hit three months. Funny how that happens. Birthday person most definitely inspired me….especially considering it sounds like they had quite the journey.
Finally got caught up in terms of key tags! 🔑
Sarah Thompson was kind enough to scoop me up and we drove a few towns over to Arlington. I’d never been to this particular meeting, Hope Dealers [see what they did there?], and I really enjoyed it. We were outside in the back parking lot of a church, obscured from the road, surrounded by trees. It was serene and peaceful. I felt a good vibe from the group and would like to see it under normal circumstances. I love you, Sarah!
As much as I appreciate Zoom meetings, it’s not the same as the real [face-to-face] deal. Seeing other people was much appreciated. Even if it’s just waving from several feet away or doing jazz hands. I also took advantage of the opportunity to play catch up with my key tags. Methinks I will gradually ease into special occasion meetings that practice appropriate safety measures. What do y’all think? Is it too soon to start making the transition to meetings if they are following proper guidelines? Are meetings considered essential for recovery folks? Let me know your thoughts.
With infinite love, gratitude, and respect,
Sloane
Cocktails With Hemingway 