Blog for March 14th, 2022
The Recovery Bug
I had the privilege this week to give one of my aw
esome sponsee’s a cake for her 32 years of clean time at an NA women’s meeting. We met up for a little dinner first, joined by another friend and my son’s girlfriend who went with me.
It is always cool to me to introduce newcomers to old timers. I think it speaks to them about recovery way better than if I talked for forty-eight hours straight. It took some do’ns to talk her into going that night, it was out of town and she works now. I get it.
Meanwhile, the newcomer that I’m sponsoring was also a chore to get her to come, but she came. I wanted both of them to see other women in recovery that have a lot of time and a lot of good stuff in their lives as a result. I guess I’m hoping they catch the “recovery bug”. They did say that they really liked the meeting. I heard a lot of good stuff for myself as well.
I’ve been thinking back to when I first caught the “recovery bug”. What was it that was so attracting to me that I kept coming back? That I kept staying for all this time? Why? Why me?
Very simply, I was done! I was tired. I was lost and confused. I was desperate and needed help. I needed direction and support in not picking up the first one. At each meeting I went to, I heard something that kept me coming back to the next one and then the next one and so on. I think I kept getting more and more curious about how this thing worked. Why wasn’t I using? Weird.
It’s like the metamorphosis of the caterpillar into a butterfly, or a tadpole into a frog, we seem to basically have a whole genetic make over. That is nothing short of miraculous!
I guess there are a lot of “bugs” we can catch, just coming out of a two- and half-year pandemic we know that all too well. There are many things we could catch, but of all the things I’ve caught, the “Recovery Bug” is by far the best bug I’ve ever caught.
Under the influence of the recovery bug I have had symptoms such as: changing my attitude, finding gratitude, getting my heart and emotions healed, learning tolerance for others, developing my talents, being responsible and kind. Learning to be of service to other and give back. Yes, this bug has hit me very hard, I hope you catch it too.
One way you’ll know that you have the Recovery Bug in a bad way is when you find yourself wanting to share with others in their addiction that they don’t have to live like that anymore. “Carrying the Message” becomes our purpose. Our way to show our gratitude and hope. Sharing our experience, strength and hope is our calling. We find many different ways to do this through our recovery. Being of service is what we do.
This is one bug that you will want to pass on!
Question of the Week: Have you caught the bug? What are your symptoms?
