Tuesday 1/26/10 - "OPEN LETTER OF AMENDS TO A SPONSEE"

Before I begin my blog, I want to thank McCaffery
for this "Honest Scrap" award.

Thank you so much for thinking of me
when you were handing out this award.

OPEN LETTER OF AMENDS TO A SPONSEE

Dear sponsee,
This is a letter of amends. It seems we have hit a rough patch that has disrupted the beautiful spiritual connection we have enjoyed. I hope you will understand.

I will forever be grateful that God brought us together. Since we met in an Al-Anon meeting over a year ago, the weeks have grown into months and the months have become more than a year. We have come to know intimate things about each other. We have shared so much of ourselves. I have done the best I knew how to share my own experience, strength and hope with you. You, in return, have been so very honest with me.

We have spent the past year methodically moving through the twelve steps using the Al-Anon book "Paths to Recovery". There have been times when you were anxious to move ahead quickly and there have been those times when your feet have dragged and much time has lapsed. But, the wonderful news is that you are now at the twelfth step and we are ready to sit down to do that last step that begins, "Having had a spiritual awakening as THE result of the steps..."

You have had that spiritual awakening and I see a miracle in front of me. You have changed in so many fundamental ways since we first began. In the process, I have changed too. I thank you for all I have learned about myself, life, and relationships during this process.

We have now come to a place where my clay feet are sticking out. I am making amends to you for having judged you. I have sought God's help to be less judgmental, critical and censoring of myself and in the process I have become less so with others. But it is a work in progress so I believe I may have reacted to your recent choice with unspoken, but surely felt by you - judgment of your actions. Who am I to say what choices you should make? I have always made my own choices, some have turned out well and some not so well. I am sorry.

I am your sponsor. God put us together. God has used me to pass the Al-Anon program on to you. I am also human. I pray we will be able to move beyond our human frailties and maintain the beautiful relationship we have shared so far.

I have kept this letter general so I could share it with others. I have written no specifics that could be linked back to you. Anonymity is the spiritual foundation of our program. Thank God for that.

You will forever remain in a very special place in my heart and in my life. I love you.

Your sponsor,
Prayer Girl