As Mother Nature pulls us forward into the fall season, we enjoy the fresh cool air, the soft mornings, and the changing leaves - but there’s a sense of loss and grief that continues to lay quietly beneath our daily activities.
Uncertainty refuses to release its grip on our communities, our schools, our plans for the holidays, and more. If you’re anything like me… a lot of this still feels strange and unfamiliar. Like sailors traveling uncharted waters in a heavy fog, how do we move forward when we can’t see more than a few feet in front of us?
I’ve got one simple answer for you.
We do it together.
We need each other now more than ever. Connect with each other on a daily basis, whether it’s a five-minute phone call, an hour meeting, getting on a zoom meeting, calling your alumni coordinator, or having coffee with another person in recovery – I know it's overwhelming and exhausting to continue being vulnerable, continue talking, continue reaching out; but we must create opportunities to connect - even if it looks a little different. Different doesn’t mean wrong. The connections you create and grow will look different. It won’t be quite the same 12-step meeting or support group gathering or talk with your sponsor as it “used to be.” But that’s ok. Doing things differently creates growth and new opportunities… but we can’t do that alone.
In a recent blog article, Caron therapist and Clinical Supervisor of our new Carol E. Ware Women’s Center Jacquelyn Guthridge encourages us to “view this time as an opportunity to really reflect on your values and reframe what is truly important for yourself and your family right now. Not unlike the famous ruby slippers in The Wizard of Oz, we do have power and we can create a peaceful life for ourselves even during a global pandemic.” Click here to read the article. You might not have the have the all answers – you don’t have to have them. I don’t have them. And none of us have control. But in her blog, Jackie reminds us that “If we cling to the idea that everything always must be perfect and on-track, we may miss the opportunity to experience the joy that is put before us in the moment.” And when we relinquish control, understanding that our primary responsibility is to safeguard our recovery and thereby serve as a light to others, life becomes easier, more simple.
You’re doing so well. You might not feel like it, but every time you pick up the phone, every time you speak at a meeting, every time you take a walk to recalibrate your serenity, every time you celebrate the small moments of peace in your day, you’re inching forward; you’re moving through the storm.
We’re here if you need us. Please remember that I, your alumni coordinator, and the entire Caron family is behind you.
I look forward to connecting with you again soon – even if it looks a little different
