Forgot my password, forgot my username. Had to go to blogger.com in order to access my blog. It was great to see Mike L."s comment about guys/gals who stop blogging without much explanation followed by much silence.
For the record I have attended a number of (too many)funerals (tennis friends, old and recent work friends, recovery friends) the last few months.Happy to report that I'm one of the last standing in the available, pallbearer category, although the black jacket is getting a little worn.
I have made more than enough trips to hospitals and doctor offices for myself and for my wife to qualify for a huge medical deduction for tax yr 2010. The great news outside my cancer all the trips were "maintenance" on worn out parts. Our bodies have long passed the warranty limit so we have been charged for both labor and replacement/disposal of the worn out parts. All of this being said physically, mentally and spiritually we are in great shape, a priority, playing tennis at least 3x a week, Y, Yoga and running?.
Due to the slump (I am a product of the depression and have faith that this too will pass ) in the economy and her subsequent loss of an excellent position we were graced with the return of our eldest daughter(50's)to our fireside these last several months here in Tennessee. It was costly for both of us but we truly were blessed with a second chance to heal old wounds and to develop a new and exciting relationship. As of the first of the month she is back practicing her profession in "her" California.
For those who know the importance of meetings, sponsorship, and daily practice I want to assure you that I have not skipped a beat. My wife and I are blessed with a great bunch of loving friends. We needed them even more so given the opportunities to grow, I and she needed all the help we could get and give.
As Board Chair of a new treatment facility (much time and energy) here in Tennessee I have been busy. I continue to write short stories,poetry and getting my finished memoir ready for publication. Had to learn the ins and outs of ebooks and print-on- demand.
Finally we had to remortgage the home and revamp our financial portfolio which took a lot of energy, paperwork,emails, faxes, 'overnights' and over 90 days to accomplish. We certainly contributed to Fed Ex's bottom line.
God willing and the creek doesn't rise I've a 49th sober birthday and my wife a 50th in Alanon coming up the beginning of Feb. Guess who was the hard head, no, she doesn't let me forget it.
Thank God The Will for and in my life has been doing for me that which I could not have done for myself.
Thanks for not giving up on me Mike. Good to hear from you again. You made my day, I needed that. Thanks also to all the rest of you who were concerned and especially thankful for sharing your experience, hope and strength with your continued blogging. Hopefully I'll keep on keeping on.
Grateful
Jim
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Welcome back! And thanks for stopping by now and then.
ReplyDeletePatty
Thank you Jim for staying the course and coming back full circle to where you belong...with a pen in hand writing! It is good to see your words again. Keep it up.
ReplyDeletePris
Great to hear from you! Always appreciate your hope and experience.
ReplyDeleteI rarely scream religious stuff, but HALLELUJAH! I'm so glad to see you back in Blogland! I've also had a hard time keeping up with my blogging, but now that you're back I'm going to commit to writing about something that I've been chewing on recently: the two most important parts of the Big Book: (1) the black part (that line I stole from someone else in AA...)and (2) the white part (that's something I've been thinking about lately: there's much value to be found in the book by seeking to understand what is not said in the book...).
ReplyDeleteI logged into my blog tonight though not to blog, but to set up a private recovery blog for a new sponsee: I've done this for quite a few others that I sponsor. What I do is create a blog that is restricted to only the sponsee and me. The blog is not searchable or findable by anyone else: only the two of us. The sponsee is able and encouraged to use their blog site to write anything they want related to their own recovery. I'm not there to criticize -- I'm there to listen and tell stories. Just like my grand sponsor (Dr. Earle) did for me when I first got sober.
See your blogs though just filled me with a rush of joy! I know that there will be a day when you (and I) will pass, I doubt I will ever be ready for that -- but I love that you are alive today. You are one of the amazing people I've come to know and cherish in my few years of recovery. Thanks!
Mike L.