Meetings

10.24.25

People ask me sometimes why I go to so many meetings. I don’t really know how to explain it in a way that makes sense to someone who hasn’t lived this way of life, but the truth is that it’s what I need. It’s part of my program and part of what keeps me sane.

I have a list of things I need to do every day to stay at peace. Prayer, meditation, readings, journaling, and talking to another alcoholic or addict in recovery. One is more important than the others for me. A lot of people would argue that Higher Power must be number one above all else. You do you, boo. I’ve learned the hard way that if I skip one, I start to feel off. Restless. Unsettled. Like something’s missing inside me that I can’t quite name.

So on the days when I don’t have a service position at a meeting, and I haven’t had a real connection with a friend in recovery, I know what I need to do. I get in my car and drive my happy ass to the 8:00 p.m. meeting. It’s not about checking a box; it’s about feeling connected again. That fellowship fills a space in me that nothing else can.

I don’t think of meetings as a chore. I actually enjoy them. There’s nowhere else I can sit and hear solution, strength, hope, and experience all in one room. The fellowship reminds me that I’m not alone. Whatever I’m walking through, someone else has too. And more often than not, they’re willing to share how they made it through.