Twelve Step Reflections

Addiction Recovery, Healing, and Prevention - Notes from Nannette

Our Kids are Paying Attention To Where We Place Our Attention – Carrying the Message to Our Children

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In the early years I held back from openly announcing to the world or my family that I was involved in a recovery program and that I was applying the 12 Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous to my lifetime struggle with food. My children knew I had started attending a Sunday night meeting, but Latter-day ... Read More

“Sorry, Right Number, But Eliza Isn’t Taking Any Calls!” – Step 11

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When Eliza two years old and starting to express herself quite clearly with words her parents left her with me for several nights and went out of town. She obviously missed them. She asked about them. She looked out the big front window hoping to see them coming up the walk, and at times she even ... Read More

“The Second Mile” – 12 Step Parenting and Perfectionism

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I would never want to stand before the Judge and plead guilty to the charge of hindering my children’s righteous use of agency, of squelching their freedom and desire to do good and so I “encourage” the children in my life by saying things like: “Don’t just do what’s required! Go the extra mile! ... Read More

“Oh, Besides Him”

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One day I had the occasion to sit in on a Young Women lesson being taught by one of the Young Women. She was teaching a lesson on what the girls could do to avoid immorality. “So, what are some of the things we can do to keep ourselves morally clean?” she asked the class. There was a long silence. ... Read More

It’s Never Too Late, But It’s Also Never Too Early

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I know it’s never too late to apply the principles of recovery and healing to our lives, but I also believe that it’s never too early. My granddaughter Eliza went through a tantrum phase that had us all baffled. One day she was spending the afternoon with me when she had occasion (and any occasion ... Read More