α sponsors are warm, wise, wonderful people, and their experience …
Posted: Fri, Feb 8, 2008 10:26:50 AM
...with recovery is mine -- all i have to do is ask. ah, a warm fuzzy about sponsors. i am one of those and i do not know how warm wise and wonderful i really am, BUT i can and do offer to share my experience, strength and hope with those men who ask me to sponsor them.
BUT the topic was not about me, per se, it was about sponsors in general. i really have a problem when a reading makes a broad sweeping generalization, such as the kind of person my sponsor is. yes, i do respect him, and yes, for me, he is the best possible sponsor in the world today, i have seen him be less than warm, wise and wonderful at times, and that does nothing to diminish my respect for him and his experience. if anything seeing his human side makes me more certain THAN EVER, that he is the sponsor for me. if all i saw him as a saint, i am sure that sooner rather than later, i would end up greatly disappointed in him and build a resentment.
BUT the reading was not necessarily about what kind of person my sponsor is either. what i heard in the reading this morning is what i need to do, to garner the help i need from the man i chose to sponsor me. it would be nice if he could reach out across the miles with amazing mind powers and give me a call when i am more than a bit f*cked up. the reality of the situation is, sigh, he is a just another recovering addict, and it is up to me to reach out. it is up to me, to do my step work. it is up to me to look for the means to stay clean today, no matter what. and it is up to me, to let him know that i have issues, or that i am struggling or even, GASP, i am doing good and just calling to tell him that too! my relationship with my sponsor is my responsibility as well as his, and to think anything different only sets me up for a road to nowhere. well actually somewhere, back to active addiction. will i call my sponsor today? maybe. but no matter what happens i do know that he will be there for me, and for that i am grateful and ready to do whatever it takes to be a participant in that relationship today. so off to the showers and into the real world to see what i can get done today.
BUT the topic was not about me, per se, it was about sponsors in general. i really have a problem when a reading makes a broad sweeping generalization, such as the kind of person my sponsor is. yes, i do respect him, and yes, for me, he is the best possible sponsor in the world today, i have seen him be less than warm, wise and wonderful at times, and that does nothing to diminish my respect for him and his experience. if anything seeing his human side makes me more certain THAN EVER, that he is the sponsor for me. if all i saw him as a saint, i am sure that sooner rather than later, i would end up greatly disappointed in him and build a resentment.
BUT the reading was not necessarily about what kind of person my sponsor is either. what i heard in the reading this morning is what i need to do, to garner the help i need from the man i chose to sponsor me. it would be nice if he could reach out across the miles with amazing mind powers and give me a call when i am more than a bit f*cked up. the reality of the situation is, sigh, he is a just another recovering addict, and it is up to me to reach out. it is up to me, to do my step work. it is up to me to look for the means to stay clean today, no matter what. and it is up to me, to let him know that i have issues, or that i am struggling or even, GASP, i am doing good and just calling to tell him that too! my relationship with my sponsor is my responsibility as well as his, and to think anything different only sets me up for a road to nowhere. well actually somewhere, back to active addiction. will i call my sponsor today? maybe. but no matter what happens i do know that he will be there for me, and for that i am grateful and ready to do whatever it takes to be a participant in that relationship today. so off to the showers and into the real world to see what i can get done today.
∞ DT ∞