I thought this would be fun

I went to the morning meeting today with expectations. I thought I would laugh and tell silly stories. Instead Jan came in crying and I remembered what had been said about her daughter. Her daughter was 26. Jan shared first. Her daughter had been in the rooms with Jan for a while but just could not get the program. Saturday the daughter was arrested and placed in jail. Jan said she was grateful knowing that at least she knew where her daughter was. Jan wished that this time perhaps her daughter would get sober. That was not to be. Someone bailed her daughter out of jail and by the end of the day the daughter was dead. She died of an overdose. Jan shared the story and not a dry eye was in the house. It was not fun, it was not joyful, it was real.
Jan's experience brought back so many memories for me. When I attended my first meeting there was a guy huddled in the corner, sitting on the well worn carpet. He was crying. I paid no attention to him. Instead I was worried all about myself. Fifteen years later that guy was me. Me wife died of brain cancer and I used the power of the group of Alcoholics Anonymous, I used the prayers of those people to support me and help me though my pain. You see Jan was like me and I like Jan and we were both the guy crying on the floor, huddled in the corner. Without AA I don't think the three of us would have remained sober. Without Alcoholics Anonymous we would have returned to our basic selves, drunks unable to meet life on life's terms. Today I have real friends because I told them that I was hurting. They put their arms around me and loved me back to life.