I've had an unhappy life, thank God.
~Russell BakerWe are blessed with the awareness that our past suffering has served a purpose. What we once feared would destroy us has instead led us to understanding and caring, for both ourselves and others. Isolation and loneliness have been replaced by membership in a supportive community. Our experience, strength, and hope are of use to those whose life journeys resemble our own. Survival has given us the gifts of shared laughter and compassion and the courage to take risks and to continue on paths of growth and change.
Whether we've lost everything or have kept whatever luck bestowed on us, each of us has had to change. We've begun learning that we can be fully present in the moment; we no longer fear being alive and awake, as our consciousness of a Higher Power and a loving fellowship sustains us.
Today, I celebrate my strength. I have survived.
