A Bucket Full of Wonder

The world is full of wonderful things.  None more so, at least to me, than the absolute wonder of transformed lives.  Several days ago I got a whole bucket full of such wonder. Every the Memorial Day weekend here in Minnesota is held the Gopher State Roundup.  It is the second largest gathering of recovering people in the country.  (Or so I’ve been told.)  I attended the Friday night session.  Over 4,000 people crowded into the massive auditorium.  Over the weekend nearly 8,000 people attended.

One of the glories of recovery and recovery is events is the fellowship among the diversity.  Every age, race and type of dress rub shoulders.  No one cares about the differences between us.  The only thing that matters is the “sincere desire to stop drinking,” the commitment to living the best we can a spiritual life of recovery and the determination to do whatever is in our power to help others into the light that was so freely given us – whether the door a person came through was that of A.A. or Al-Anon.

Various groups and clubs, over 200 of them, rent out suites around the hotel where the event is held.  The names of the groups and clubs are on the doors.  It’s absolutely come as you are.   Each group offers free food to anyone who wants to stop by and chat.   It’s an awesome experience to be part of such a huge crowd, all living the absolute wonder of recovery.  And the wonder of recovery is spirituality.  As has been said about the Program, “there is no spiritual side to the Program.  It’s all spiritual.”  It’s hard observing such non-judgmental, loving behavior among so many people, as diverse as they are, and not be saddened that the family of man cannot get along in the same way.  The gathering was a model of how all of us should be in this world to one another.

Tags: addiction, change is a choice, personal growth, recovery, spirituality