The Unity of Alcoholics Anonymous

Throughout my jou
ey of recovery in Alcoholics Anonymous, miracles have come to me in abundance. The promises have astoundingly materialized in every element of my daily life and the rewards of sobriety are beyond what my imagination could have ever visualized or dreamed of. I was miraculously given a chance in my life to live with a genuine passion for my career, my family, my friends, and humanity as a whole. Recovery has provided me the opportunity to discover my true self, which was hidden by alcoholism, and bask in the bliss and enlightenment of each present moment that I am given. I can give and not expect anything in return, I can accept other human beings for who they are, I can love and be loved, and most importantly, I don’t have the need to pick up a drink to face any challenges that the universe places along my daily passage in life. Alcoholics Anonymous has given me a life abundantly filled with honesty, love, acceptance, and passion.

As you may sense by now, I am filled with gratitude and sincere appreciation for all of these gifts bestowed upon me, however there is one attribute of AA that overwhelmingly outweighs all the others. This characteristic provides a foundation for personal as well as universal evolution; this part of AA that I speak of is the UNITY and HARMONY that the program offers to me and all other human beings involved. AA offers an environment of non-judgmental acceptance, equality, unconditional love, and tranquility consisting of a unique and diverse population of human beings. AA does not discriminate and does not apply the intolerance of exclusivity that institutions in our society know too well. We are all welcome with open arms and compassion whether we are black or white, Christian or Buddhist, rich or poor, young or old, as well as the other biases that haunt the world. AA is a microcosm of what an ideal and peaceful universe would look like. It is a humanity-based exemplar and innovative society that has the capacity to change the course of human beings lives. Our world can profit from the example set by Alcoholics Anonymous.

My revelation conce
ing this incredible gift that AA has to offer came when I recently took a position as a therapist in the Cayman Islands. (Yes, recovery brought me to paradise) I landed on this small island knowing nobody and knowing little about the culture. The only thing I knew is that this was on my path to successful living and I was coming here to help other human beings. It was quite a fearful adventure, until I walked into an AA meeting. I entered the meeting and immediately felt like I was a home, I belonged, and I was right where I was meant to be at this point in time. This small church on the waterfront was my sanctuary that would give me the gift of meeting a diverse group of individuals that were there to help me stay sober a day at a time. It truly touches me and provides me with hope and gratitude, knowing that I can go anywhere throughout the world and be welcomed with open arms into my harmonious family of AA.

These significant characteristics of AA keep me coming back; the atmosphere provides me with a model of the world that I have always dreamed to live in. Hopefully, the societies and cultures around the globe will take some helpful pointers from AA’s philosophy and begin the new evolution of humanity. Thank you Alcoholics Anonymous and all of the warm, accepting, and enlightened souls that work a recovery program on a daily basis.

Copyright 2006 Richard A. Singer Jr.