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angel143 · Joined: 09 Jun 2009 Posts: 145 Location: Mesa, AZ

What are you grateful for?

This was a topic at a meeting this week. I was wondering what you are all grateful for.

Im grateful for

1-Im sober
2-AA (and everything AA related)
3-My kids and family
4-I learned to love myself
5-Love
6-I have a job, food, shelter

(these are in no particular order and things can belong to more than 1 group, the only thing that is #1 and never changes is sobriety)

I have so many other things I am grateful for...these are just a few. I keep a list, and each day I add to it. So I can SEE all the good...when I cant see all the good.

So, will you share with me what you are grateful for?

Love ya
H

Dallas · Posted: Sat Aug 22, 2009 8:43 pm Post subject:

I'm grateful for you, Heather. You've been such a wonderful ray of sunshine and hope and love on the site here. I'm grateful that you have allowed me to watch you grow in your sobriety. Each time I read or hear from you, the progress that you are making shows like a huge bright lighthouse on a hill, that is shining, and attracting others, and showing others that AA really does work -- for those that will grab hold of it and work it!

I'm grateful for DebbieV. I may know as much of her story as she knows about her story! Laughing

I have watched her grow also -- from a scruffy looking chick with a ball cap on... to developing into a sober, married women with class and grace and dignity. I had the opportunity to watch her crawl out of the grime at the bottom of the barrel -- and prove -- that with AA's tools, and determination and effort -- we can make our own miracles happen!

I'm grateful for my puppies. God's dogs that He has shared with me, that have brought so much love and understanding and learning into my life. They are so precious -- and, for me, they prove that AA could even take a guy like me and turn him into a responsible, caring, loving, sober dog dad!

I'm grateful for each and everyone here on the forum -- regardless if we think alike or not -- I care deeply about each one here. I see them as all the angels that God has sent my way -- to help me stay sober and to have the good life that was offered to me, if I would do the work to have it.

I'm grateful for my sponsor, and grateful to have a sponsor!

I'm grateful for the guys that I've sponsored and the guys I sponsor. They are a real joy in my life -- and I watch them grow and mature in their sobriety, I feel closer than ever to them. I proudly watch their achievements -- not proud because of me -- but proud because of them, and for the AA tools that they use to work out their problems and to achieve their successes in life.

My list could go on and on and on and on and on!!! And, it does go on and on!

I'm grateful also for all the people that come here to the site looking for answers and solutions to their problems -- the people that we never hear from. The quiet readers and seekers. I feel their presence and it makes the presence of a loving God known to me.

I'm grateful that my fingers are tired and I've got a few things to do -- so that I can wrap this up and add more to it later!!! Laughing

Thank you for starting this topic Heather! I guess you knew that I could use it! Laughing

Dallas

angel143 · Joined: 09 Jun 2009 Posts: 145 Location: Mesa, AZ

gunner48 · Joined: 05 Jul 2009 Posts: 132 Location: sedalia mo

Gratitude!!!!!!
Today I awakened to another beautiful day in my dear Missouri.

I am Sober and Happy

I am on the right side of the grass

My friends are held dear to my heart

I know how it feels to be loved (Shirley H used to say Gunner let us love you until You can love us back)

I know today how to love (when Bonnie woke up I was able to tell her how special she is)

The Big Book word Fairy hasn't shown up in my book lately

I use to ask God for 5 minutes of peace of mind today he grants me 24 hours.

My list could go on and on.

I came to you broken and battered. Head held low and knees like jelly. You took me in and gave me love, bandaged my soul and gave me hope. Today I walk with head held high ,Able to help not pass you by.

Peace and Love

Tim · Joined: 05 Aug 2005 Posts: 292

I'm grateful that I'm 'not God', to borrow from the title of a book on the history of AA by Ernest Kurtz.

When I remember this, and my decision to turn my will and my life over to the care of God, I am thankful that I am no longer running the show and God is.

DebbieV · Joined: 21 Jun 2007 Posts: 213 Location: Silverton, Co

Thank you Dallas. So much I am grateful for started with that help up, from the grime at the bottom of the barrel. God knows that is where I was.

My list for today (part of it anyway):

I am grateful I stop drinking long enough for my liver to start to function again.
I am grateful I stop drinking before I died.
I am grateful I didn’t do more damage to my body than I did.
I am grateful for each day I wake up and take a breath in this beautiful town I live in.
I am grateful that I don’t live in fear of being hit.
I am grateful to have my mind back..clear and normal.
I am grateful to have food, clothes and a place of my own.
I am grateful to see a smile on my sons face.
I am grateful for my icemaker. ( I really am)
I am grateful for the pride I have in my appearance, and my body.
I am grateful for all the ones that came before me, who takes time out to help the ones like me and to teach us how to do the same for someone else.

No words can express how grateful I am for my sponsor. God put him in front of me and gave me the strength and discipline to accept his help. Thank you Dallas.

Debbie

Dallas · Posted: Mon Aug 24, 2009 10:27 am Post subject:

Wow! I noticed this "Gratitude Topic" has a whole six posts to it now!

I guess Gratitude will never be as popular as the discussion of "addicts in AA" with a 105 posts to it... probably because "Gratitude is an Attitude"... and it's one of the highly kept secrets of a happy, sane, sober and productive sober life! Laughing

Not much to argue about with Gratitude! Laughing

Dallas

angel143 · Joined: 09 Jun 2009 Posts: 145 Location: Mesa, AZ

Well, geez....maybe I just picked a bad topic...

I dunno, but I personally have lots to be grateful for!!!!

gunner48 · Joined: 05 Jul 2009 Posts: 132 Location: sedalia mo

I think you may have picked a great topic to talk about. Maybe the others are just thinking of all the great things that have happened to them before they post. AA's gratitude has only been around a little over 70 years and those other things have had hundreds of years to grow.

Sometimes I think in Abstract to gratitude such as how UN-PISSED I am.

Peace and Love

Dallas · Posted: Mon Aug 24, 2009 1:21 pm Post subject:

It's a perfect topic Heather. We'll get to have it all to ourselves! Laughing

Grateful to be grateful.

Grateful to be un-pissed, too! (I like that gunner!) There's another one I've used "Grateful that I'm not as pissed as I could be!" Laughing

I'm grateful that I have one eye that's working... even if it is giving me problems right now.

I'm grateful that I'm not totally blind!

Vision is like freedom -- we can take it for granted until it's gone.

I'm grateful for coffee, a cup to put the coffee in, eggs, milk, butter, water, candles, perfumen, showers, shaving, hiarcuts, clean clothes, dirty clothes, dogs, cats, bugs (but not spiders, roaches, misquitos or flies), guitars, fingers, music, ears, spoons, forks, CD's, floppys, pc, laptop, cell phone, mouth, voice, pay phones, cars, taxis, buses, lipstick (on chics), panties (on chics), socks, shoes, boots, mirrors, glass, roof, couch, TV, Internet Service, Internet, Step12.com, Big Book, gunner, debbiev. angel143, cessie, paul, all the tims, robert, (too), spiderman, superman, cat woman, snow, heat, fire, ice, matches, lighters, seat covers, steering wheels, steers, cows, horses,......... I'm grateful for a big huge dictionary with all the names of the things that I'm grateful for! my sponsor, AA, God, angels, and more and more and more and more. And, did I mention more????
Very grateful for you, too... H!

Dallas

robbiechaos · Joined: 23 Jul 2009 Posts: 49 Location: Deer Park, NY

You Heather and All my Fellows.
I am greatful for the wisdom in the big book
For Gods Grace and Love
getting my license back
being trusted driving with my children
Trusting myself to be responsible for my children and others
Love and tolerance of my family and friends
the ability to make amends to those I am lucky enuff to have still in my life.
the LOve of my life CYN!!!
HURRICANE SURF!!!!
the infinite amount of simple joys this sober life has to offer.
Being here...

ccs · Posted: Fri Aug 28, 2009 12:02 am Post subject:

hey Heather (aka our little Blossoming Angel Flower Very Happy

)
it is a privelge to see your growth

remember the time we did a gratitude list and we where trying to go thru the Alphabet we got to V I think before we all stopped posting BUt that list started in January and went thru April lets see if we can keep this one going that long or maybe longer Smile

looking back is sometimes a good thing so these are my first four posts to that last G list that we did and I`m still Greatful them all I wonder where Red A is he started that list havent heard from him in a while
hope all is well Red

Jan 28 2009
God
sobriety
family
dogs (lucy& rikki)
job
roof over my head
brothers & sisters in CHRIST
people that ask me to make a grattitude list!
the people I meet in this forum
knowing where I will be for all eternity

Jan 29 2009
the Creator of them & us
sunsets
the moon
the stars
the clouds
the sky
being able to enjoy them without having to close one eye to focus
thunderstorms
lightning
the wind

Jan 29 2009
Sunlight LUV YA port-o-potties?

sunrises!
waking up and knowing what I did last night
knowing the person I woke up with ! (wich is me!)
being ok with waking up without another human there
(I have the girls (my dogs) so I cant say that I wake up alone )
waking up without hangovers
waking up and having the day off!
waking up and spending time with GOD
waking up with kisses from the the girls (Lucy & Rikki)
waking up with Lucy staring in my face !
waking up !!!!!! not coming to

can ya tell I just woke up!!!!! and that I LOVE my DOGS (the girls Lucy & Rikki)

this is fun thanks Red!!!!!

this is where the A-Z started even though the one above looks like W it wasnt !!

Jan 29 2009 (gee I was on a roll on th 29th)
Almighty GOD
Alcoholics Anonymous
Altruism
Action
Another day sober
Awakening (of the spiritual kind)
Amends
Acceptance
Anne Smith
Ardmore Avenue( Akron )

thanks Heather I needed that
so no Dallas you arent alone on this topic Laughing

LUV-2-ALL
Cess

angel143 · Joined: 09 Jun 2009 Posts: 145 Location: Mesa, AZ

Mornin all...

Hi Cess..well, lets try this, see how far I get on a brain thats asleep!!!

AA
Breathing
Children
Dallas
Earth shattering conversations
Friends/Family
God
Heather (hehe, yep, grateful for me)
Insight/intelligence
Job
Kindness
Love
Money
Nights
Openess
People
Quality (and sometimes quantity)
Rising of the sun and moon
Sand
Teachers
University
Vegas
Willingness
Xrays (they come in handy)
You all
Zithromax!!!

Well, thats an A-Z list on a sleepy brain. And not even nearly complete.

Love you all
Heather

Dallas · Posted: Fri Aug 28, 2009 10:55 am Post subject:

Oh. You're such a sweetie! How did you know I would wonder if I made the list??? Embarassed

angel143 · Joined: 09 Jun 2009 Posts: 145 Location: Mesa, AZ

Yep...thats my top 4 and im stickin with it! Wink

Me a sweetie? You must be thinking of someone else...Hi, im Heather, nice to meet ya! Laughing