Lightening the Burden

 Like millions of other people, I used to suffer from “terminal uniqueness”. It’s in remission today, but it reappears from time to time if I’m not careful. It shows up in the guise of “yeah, but”.

The very thing that helped me see the truth is what I get to offer today - my unvarnished experiences, the strength I found in living in harmony with my spirituality, and the hope which that gives me. Sharing that with another alcoholic helps us both remember who we are, and that life needn’t be as heavy as it can sometimes feel.

When I am able to share from my depths, I get to understand myself better. When the person with whom I’m sharing is able, bit-by-bit, to share their own weightiness, a Light shines on them, gradually lightening their load in degrees matching their openness.

I am so very grateful for the loving, supportive people who have listened to me, made me ask questions of myself, and gently guided me by their personal examples. In that process, my burdens don’t seem so heavy. By that process, may I also help others find that their loads can be lifted.


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