Tonight my daughter and I were having the usual, “How was your day?” exchange over the telephone. I told her my day was great and then I added my predictable un-recovered, perfectionist addendum, some comment about something I hadn’t accomplished. She replied musically, using a phrase from a Michael ... Read More
“I Wish She Was The Mother!” – Step 3
Little children seem to have a strong sense and sensitivity to the serenity or the lack of it in others. I was reminded of this reality as a young mother of three preschool age children. One night I was in the middle of the Saturday night bath routine - one child in and scrubbed, out and dried, ... Read More
Parents kind of WHAT? – Step 4 Truth
Leave it to the three year olds of the world to tell the truth as they see it. My brother and his wife had the good fortune of having two at the same time, boys, Landon and Gavin. Double fun! Double trouble! And, double the “out of the mouths of babes” moments! These two three year olds were right ... Read More
My Goodly Parents, Carrying the Message by Teaching “Somewhat” – Step 12
Today would have been my Father’s 80th Birthday. That’s hard to even comprehend, because when he left us thirty-eight years ago he was the forty-two year old daddy of two daughters and five sons, ages ranging from sixteen (me) to age three. I write this as a tribute to him and as a reminder to ... Read More
Family Support – Give It Time!
Early in my application of the 12 Steps I admitted to my spouse and children that I was working on changing some things about myself. I let them know that I was not only going to work on my compulsive overeating, I was also going to work on my perfectionism. Becoming honest about our own ... Read More
“You’ve Got To Be Kidding Me!” – Carrying the Message To Our Children – Step 12
My high school grade point average was attacked my tenth grade year by a disastrous experience with Geometry. I spent the summer retaking it, hoping to make up for some of the damage done. The retake helped, but not a lot. Mostly it allowed me to move on. I home schooled my five children through the ... Read More
Listening at the Kitchen Sink – The Power of Joyful Persistence – Step 12 Carrying the Message
One late afternoon after a busy day of mothering, I stood in the kitchen in a bit of a stupor. I was weary and completely blank about what to invent for dinner. Above my kitchen sink is a large window size opening into the family room. I stood pondering how a person (such as myself) could work so ... Read More
“Shhh! Don’t Tell!” – Step 1, 2, 3
If I had to sum up in one word the name of the miracle that people everywhere are experiencing because they’re applying the 12 Steps to their lives, the word would be “grace.” It is the fundamental doctrine that underlies the entire process of recovery. Grace is the enabling power available to all ... Read More