Giving Freely

 What has kept our organization going for so long? How on earth does a disparate group of former drunks corral their pride and egos to keep A.A. accessible and available to all who desire freedom from the destructive grip of alcoholism?

Simple, really. We honor the sacrifices made by our founders. We follow the guidelines set down in the Traditions. We recognize the wisdom in the adage “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”. And - importantly - we give of ourselves. We give our time to attend meetings, to organize new meetings whenever there’s a need to do so, we make ourselves available to others as sponsors and step guides, we step up in rotational leadership roles, we contribute our money to support each group, area, and A.A. as a whole. we do whatever needs to be done without thought of renumeration or reward. For us, passing the message of hope is both a privilege and a sacred responsibility.

The onus never falls on the shoulders of one person or the same group of people. As members accrue time being free from alcohol, they are welcome to run for various positions within their groups. The burden is shared. The Traditions form the guidelines for each group, and the “group conscience” determines the details.

The challenge for me remains: how freely do I give? Am I available? In what ways am I being a “trusted servant”? How do I show up as what Mr. Rogers’ mother called a “helper”? 

“When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, ‘Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping’”. Fred Rogers