Magnificence

Today I am grateful for the ease of phone calls and how they keep me connected to family and friends across the miles. I am also grateful for eggnog as coffee creamer during the holiday season.

Magnificence. What a spectacular word, a large word. Glorious. Notable. Wonderful. Striking. It is a word that would have garnered some contempt in my actively alcoholic mind. Magnificence? What do I know about that? When will I ever see it?

The deep and dark pit of alcoholism doesn't let much light in, much less any awe or magnificence.
A most striking feature of quality recovery is that such feelings and experiences as a glorious elation and a notable moment of clarity are possible.

It takes time, effort, and plenty of support from others and a Great Spirit, but climbing out of that dark pit is possible. One of my drinking poems captured this effort prior to recovery. I would get close to the top of the pit, almost ready to throw a leg over and get out.

But someone would step on my hands and I would fall back. Who was stepping on my hands? Me. If you are an alcoholic or addict you understand those words at a gut level like I do. And if you are a recovering alcoholic or addict you have likely experienced those magnificent mountain tops of healing and forgiveness that can come our way if we surrender and walk the walk.

Because of the depths of despair we have known, the mountain tops are even more splendid. And "once an alcoholic, always an alcoholic," so I need to remain diligent in my daily work and vigilant in avoiding slippery slopes.

Today's quote from www.gratefulness.org seems especially fitting to finish with here:

"The universe buries strange jewels deep within us all, 
and then stands back to see if we can find them." 
(Elizabeth Gilbert)


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