Today's Thought - July

[bluidkiti]

July 1

Man can live his truth, his deepest truth, but cannot speak it.

~Archibald MacLeish

For many men, being addicts meant living double lives. There were public selves whom others knew, and private selves whom no one met. It was a compulsive world, and both sides were false. Many of us grew up in addicted families and learned this double life early by hiding from outsiders what life was really like at home.

In this program, we learn to live our truth before we can speak it. It is more in our actions than in what we say. We may never know the words for this truth because we do not consciously invent it. It comes to us quietly over time and slowly merges all our parts. Gradually we begin to feel whole again as we surrender our double lives for single, truthful ones.

Let me have the trust to give myself to the work of recovery and follow it where it takes me.

Today's reading is from the book Touchstones: A Book of Daily Meditations for Men*

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July 2

Right Now

Time for a check-in. What do you need to do for yourself right now, today? Do you have a full day planned? Can you build in something you can do just for yourself? Something nurturing or stress-reducing if you are feeling overwhelmed or something inspiring or exciting if you are feeling bored? Do you need to take a walk or a nap? Have a snack?

The likelihood that anybody else is going to figure out what you need and then make sure you get it is, I’m sorry to say, very slim. But I bet if you close your eyes and ask yourself the question "What do I need today?" that something will come to you. It can't hurt to try.

Let your intuition tell you what you need and your sense of worthiness ensure that you get it.

Today's reading is from the book She Recovers Every Day: Meditations for Women*

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July 3

Changing our attitudes

Our prayer is, "God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference." We say this prayer at least once a day because although we must accept the things we cannot change today, they may, in fact, change tomorrow.

This seems to be a paradox, yet once we truly and completely accept something, it begins to change. While the objective fact remains unchanged, our attitude toward it and our relationship to it has changed. It is with our attitudes toward people and things that we must learn to live.

Am I changing my attitudes?

Higher Power, help me live fully today, neither forward nor backward, but here and now.

The attitude I will work on today is...

Today's reading is from the book Day by Day: Daily Meditations for Recovering Addicts*

[bluidkiti]

JUly 4

Reflection for the Day

It's time for me to start being responsible for my own actions. It's time for me to be willing to take some chances. If my new life in the program is valid and right, as I truly believe, then surely it can stand the test of exposure to real-life situations and problems. So I won’t be afraid to be human and, if necessary, to sometimes fall on my face in the process of living. Living is what the program is all about. And living entails sharing, accepting, giving - interacting with other people. Now is the time for me to put my faith into action. Have I begun to practice what I preach by putting my new thoughts and ideas into action?
Today I Pray

May the program, with my Higher Power's help, give me a chance to live a steady, creative, outreaching life, so that I may share with others what has been given to me. May I realize on this Independence Day that I, too, have a celebration of freedom - freedom from my addiction.
Today I Will Remember

To celebrate my personal freedom.

Today's reading is from the book A Day at a Time: Daily Reflections for Recovering People*

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July 5

Guidance comes from many sources.

What do we think of when we hear the word guidance? Perhaps we recall a guidance counselor in school who told us what courses to take. Now that we are in the program we receive guidance in quite informal ways: At a meeting an old-timer will share a story that helps us make a decision. A reading in a meditation book will seem to have been written specifically for us. Or a friend will call at just the moment we are feeling fear and confusion.

Most people come into this program searching for something. We may not know just what we are missing, but we recognize a painful void. Learning that we have not only a Higher Power as a constant companion but also many new and trusted friends, we gain a fresh appreciation for guidance - what it means and how it helps. It's really everywhere, and we are learning how to tap into it, thanks to the program.

Every situation I meet today will be affected by my presence. I have something to give that only I can give.

Today's reading is from the book A Life of My Own: Meditations on Hope and Acceptance*

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July 6

Get a small notebook
write down in it what you want

~James Schuyler

We sometimes postpone things we want to do, waiting for ideal circumstances or more comfortable means. Often, all we need to make a start is the willingness to begin. Writing is an example; many of us say, "I'd like to write, but I don't have the time." We can take a few moments to write today - right now - without committing ourselves to keeping a journal for the rest of our lives. We don't need a computer, a writer's studio, or a grant; any pad or notebook will do.

Instead of living with the frustration of grandiose schemes, we can cultivate small habits that move us gradually in the direction of fulfilling our desires.

Today, I take one small action that furthers the fulfillment of a desire.

Today's reading is from the book Glad Day

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July 7

Stopping Victimization

Before recovery, many of us lacked a frame of reference with which to name the victimization and abuse in our life. We may have thought it was normal that people mistreated us. We may have believed we deserved mistreatment; we may have been attracted to people who mistreated us.

We need to let go, on a deep level, of our need to be victimized and to be victims. We need to let go of our need to be in dysfunctional relationships and systems at work, in love, in family relationships, in friendships. We deserve better. We deserve much better. It is our right. When we believe in our right to happiness, we will have happiness.

We will fight for that right, and the fight will emerge from our souls. Break free from oppression and victimization.

Today, I will liberate myself by letting go of my need to be a victim. and I’ll explore my freedom to take care of myself. That liberation will not take me further away from people I love. It will bring me closer to people and more in harmony with God’s plan for my life.

Today's reading is from the book The Language of Letting Go: Daily Meditations on Codependency*

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July 8

People are always blaming their circumstances for being what they are. The people who get on in this world are the people who get up and look for the circumstances they want, and if they can't find them, make them.

~George Bernard Shaw

If only the weather were better, people were friendlier, there were more job opportunities, less traffic, the family lived nearer, the taxes were lower, and the morning sun didn't shine on the wrong side of the house we'd probably be happy right where we are. The problem is there’s too much pressure here, too many frustrations and irritations. The answer seems simple enough - move to another house or city, or even another country.

The problem is that when we move, we take ourselves along. Where we are is where we have chosen to be. If we don’t "fix our chooser," we'll choose the same people and predicaments again and again.

There is enormous freedom in accepting this truth. When we do, we claim the power to control the quality of our own lives and to create our own destiny.

Today, I will investigate how my choices have shaped my life.

Today's reading is from the book Days of Healing, Days of Joy: Daily Meditations for Adult Children*

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July 9

The more we give of anything, the more we shall get back.

~Grace Speare

When we first hear this advice, it doesn’t seem to make sense. How can we get more of something by giving it away? Yet we hear the same advice in Step Twelve of our recovery program: we must "Give it away" in order to keep it.

What does this mean? Maybe it means that when we pay attention to living in this way, we change our whole value system and our behavior. For example, we can choose to lay our anger and whining on others, but that doesn't really get rid of it. In fact, we find that people tend to join in our negative behavior and feed it. We end up with more.

But if we give to others the feelings we really want to keep - understanding, honesty, kindness, patience, and humor - they will share their good stuff with us, too. And that helps us stay sober.
Prayer for the Day

Higher Power, help me share the important things today - the things I want more of.
Today's Action

Today I will be aware of what I am giving others with my behavior. If I need to share negative comments or ideas, I will balance each one with five positives. I'm making life better for others and for myself, too.

Today's reading is from the book God Grant Me: More Daily Meditations from the Authors of Keep It Simple*

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July 10

There are no elements so diverse that they cannot be joined in the heart of an individual.

~Jean Giraudoux

We sometimes look too hard, perhaps, for unity and coherence. If we are uncertain, we get upset; if we are inconsistent, we are criticized. So we try to always be constant and predictable.

But we are made up from disparate genes and conflicting humors. We may always want to do good, but we all have slips. Our hearts say one thing, our heads another. We change our minds and stop and start. We get confused and battles flare up inside us.

That's called being human. Many forces converge on us, many thoughts arise, many emotions rage. It takes courage to accept our contradictions, our struggles, but we will be stronger if we do.

I recognize that I am often divided in myself. I accept that this is part of being human.

Today's reading is from the book Answers in the Heart

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July 11

Kindness

Little deeds of kindness, little words of love, help to make earth happy.

~Julia A.F. Carney

No act of kindness is ever too small to serve a good purpose. Oceans are made possible by little drops of water. Beaches are formed by tiny grains of sand. Slowly but surely, small efforts combine to help, encourage, and lead others to an ocean of success.

Small acts make large contributions to our spiritual growth. Newcomers to our program are advised that they can rid themselves of hatred, envy, resentments, and dislikes by using little acts and words to create a great turnaround in behavior. For instance, we are told, "Start forgiveness by praying for those you think have harmed you." This small act of prayer removes powerful negative emotions and replaces them with the wonder of serenity.

I shall try to be a little kinder and a little blinder to the faults of those around me.

Today's reading is from the book Easy Does It: A Book of Daily Twelve Step Meditations*

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July 12

There is a need to discover that we are capable of solitary joy and having experienced it, know that we have touched the core of self.

~Barbara Lazear Ascher

To be alone with ourselves, undistracted by a friend's voice or TV or a good book, is not all that easy. We discover the joy of being and not always doing, when we make a commitment to go within and seek the support of our Higher Power.

We are nurtured in times of quiet solitude as, little by little, we come to know and love ourselves more. We find lasting joy deep within ourselves rather than in outward success, other people’s approval, or mood-altering drugs.

Deciding to leave our distractions for even a few moments will take courage; we may fear the unknown, certain that if we really get to know ourselves, we’ll discover we’re unlovable. Fear of the unknown is natural, but it lessens as we mature in our spiritual life. We are meant to know and love ourselves as we’re known and loved by God.

Today I will quietly go within and I will seek the self-assurance and joy that come from God.

Today's reading is from the book In God's Care: Daily Meditations on Spirituality in Recovery*

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July 13

Blaming someone or something else doesn't help me to grow as an individual.

~Chris DeMetsenaere

It is not unusual to meet women in recovery who have survived harrowing childhoods or brutal marriages. Many of us have lived troubled lives and felt powerless to change the circumstances. If we continue to focus on those times, however, we will grow far less than we deserve.

What has happened has happened. We can't redo the past. Hanging on to it in order to blame other people for our failures and shortcomings builds a barrier to growth. With our minds on the past, we are not actively and consciously involved in the present, and this moment is all we have.

We are not responsible for the abuses others perpetrated against us. We are responsible for what we choose to do next. Being fully responsible, we will quit blaming others and make the amends we need to make. We will learn to pause before acting or responding to others.

I will feel empowered today if I accept responsibility for my every thought and act.

Today's reading is from the book A Woman's Spirit: More meditations for Women*

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July 14

You alone can do it, but you cannot do it alone.

~O. Hobart Mowrer

A guy likes to feel independent and self-sufficient. We all naturally want to feel competent and on top of our game. As we live our lives, we gain some savvy about this drive to be our own master. The young boy has a simple idea: the less he needs others, the stronger and better he will be. But the wiser, experienced man knows that a man is stronger and wiser if he is willing to accept the help that is available.

We alone can turn toward the help. We alone can decide to accept what we cannot change. We alone can open ourselves to spiritual grace and stop getting in the way of our Higher Power. The smarter man accepts the paradox that when we take our self-sufficiency too far, we become weaker. We are in the driver's seat when we decide to receive the help of others and our Higher Power.

Today, I will open myself to the help that surrounds me.

Today's reading is from the book Stepping Stones: More Daily Meditations for Men*

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July 15

AA Thought for the Day

Have I admitted I am an alcoholic? Have I swallowed my pride and admitted I was different from ordinary drinkers? Have I accepted the fact that I must spend the rest of my life without liquor? Have I any more reservations, any idea in the back of my mind that someday I'll be able to drink safely? Am I absolutely honest with myself and with other people? Have I taken an inventory of myself and admitted the wrong I have done? Have I come clean with my friends? Have I tried to make it up to them for the way I have treated them?
Meditation for the Day

I will believe that fundamentally all is well. Good things will happen to me. I believe that God cares for me and will provide for me. I will not try to plan ahead. I know that the way will unfold, step by step. I will leave tomorrow's burden to God, because He is the great burden-bearer. He only expects me to carry my one day's share.
Prayer for the Day

I pray that I may not try to carry the burden of the universe on my shoulders. I pray that I may be satisfied to do my share each day.

Today's reading is from the book Twenty-Four Hours a Day: A Spiritual Resource with Practical Applications for Daily Life*

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July 16

Real men don't vacuum.

~Anna Genich

Once, not so long ago, there was a family who tried to divide up housework equally. The father signed up for vacuuming, but he never got around to doing it.

One morning he told everyone about his dream the night before. He was lined up in the dining room with an entire football team, and they all ran in a line through the house, pushing the clutter and dirt up against the walls and out of the way. They came to a finish at the picture window, where the father turned and raised his arms in victory. Then he saw his wife watching him, so he explained, "Heroes don't vacuum."

Perhaps each of us is a hero at one time or another. In that case, we might take turns at different chores, rewarding the day's hero with a day off from vacuuming or dishwashing. When we work together to get the chores done, we become a family of heroes, and can feel a healthy pride in our warm, loving, and clean home.

How can we share housework more equally?

Today's reading is from the book Today's Gift: Daily Meditations for Families*

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July 17

Go often to the house of your friend: for weeds soon choke up the unused path.

~Scandinavian proverb

Our program has two parts: the Steps and the fellowship. Both keep us sober. We can't stay sober if we go it alone. We need to work the Steps. We also need people - the help of our friends daily.

Recovery is about relationships. We get new friends. We get involved. We give. We get. In times of need, we may not want to ask our new friends for help. Maybe we don't want to "burden them." Maybe we're afraid to ask for help. Well, go ahead. Make that call. Ask your new friend to spend time with you. You deserve and need it. They deserve it; they need it.
Prayer for the Day

Higher Power, help me to get help from my friends as if my life depends on it.
Action for the Day

Today I'll see or call two program friends and let them know how I’m doing.

Today's reading is from the book Keep it Simple: Daily Meditations for Twelve Step Beginnings and Renewal*

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July 18

When nobody around you seems to measure up, it's time to check your yardstick.

~Bill Lemley

Being overcritical and irritable has been common to most of us. Some of us go around with controlled smiles while underneath we are grumbling. Others blast everyone around them. Some of us save our most critical reactions for those we love while staying sweet and friendly with the outside world. In any case, we are caught in a blinding trap. We may know we feel trapped but do not see that our problem is mainly with ourselves.

We need to look at our relationships. Have we been falling into a pattern where no one seems to measure up? Are we also being too critical or demanding of ourselves? Perhaps we don't need to lower our standards so much as to hold them less tightly. If we can be friends to ourselves and give ourselves a little more leeway, we can be more easygoing with others.

I cannot force myself to be less critical, but I can let go of my willfulness so my more easygoing side comes forward. I can be less judgmental of myself and others.

Today's reading is from the book Touchstones: A Book of Daily Meditations for Men*

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July 19

Disappointing Others

Learning the art of saying no to other people wasn't easy. I used to always come up with extravagant stories, excuses, or narratives for why I couldn't do something. Nobody ever taught me that I could just simply say no. I grew up believing that somehow saying no to others would do them harm. I didn't understand that saying yes sometimes causes myself harm. Like my friend Holly Whitaker says, "Disappoint other people with your no; don't disappoint yourself with a yes you'll later resent." Isn't that the truth?

There's such freedom in saying no. Perhaps you know this. I'm a recovering people pleaser, so it took me a little longer than most to figure this out. I'm really good at it now. When we say no to other people, we don't need to overexplain, lie, manipulate, justify, or make excuses. We can decline graciously, confidently, firmly. We don't need to justify our decisions. We can respond with a simple "Thanks for thinking of me, but I'm going to pass" or "Sorry, I'm unavailable for that" or even better, "No, thank you." If you don't already do this, try it out.

I'd rather disappoint others than disappoint myself.

Today's reading is from the book She Recovers Every Day: Meditations for Women*

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July 20

Practicing what we know

Our Higher Power does not expect us to live what we do not know or do not yet understand. But we can gain understanding by applying what we know day by day. (When we turn our backs on what we already know, then we stumble.)

We already know that drinking and using only block our way. When should we begin applying what we already know? Today. For today is the only day we have.

Do I practice what I know?

Higher Power, help me apply what I know and not turn my back on my program of recovery.

I will practice what I know today by...

Today's reading is from the book Day by Day: Daily Meditations for Recovering Addicts*

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July 21

Slowly Ease the Pain

Each and every day I ask, What do I have? What have I been left with? What can I do with what I have? Who was I then? Who am I now? What can I do with who I am now? Where did I end up? What can I do with where I ended up? How can I accomplish success in small increments? How can I do more in life? What more can I do in life?

I can keep asking questions. Look for answers. Make plans with the answers. Pray a lot. Try to keep calm and clear. Learn meditation. Learn how to react to the people around me with smoother responses. Remind myself that I am eternally sanding down the rough edges. Be thankful I got to see and live through another day.

My disability limits me. My disability creates a new life that I can explore. I can have full life. Life, liberty, and the pursuits of happiness are possible. My job is to understand my past and keep on the path of life. My life is like an ongoing patrol. My never-ending mission. I accept this.

Today I will learn to love and appreciate those around me and what we can do together.

~Moe A., U.S. Marine Corps, 1962–1966

Today's reading is from the book Leave No One Behind: Daily meditations for Military Service Members and Veterans in Recovery*

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July 22

Reflection for the Day

I admitted that I couldn't win the battle against substance abuse and compulsions on my own. So I finally began to accept the critically important fact that dependence on a Higher Power could help me achieve what had always seemed impossible. I stopped running. I stopped fighting. For the first time, I began accepting. And for the first time, I began to be really free. Do I realize that it doesn't matter what kind of shoes I'm wearing when I'm running away?
Today I Pray

May I know the freedom that comes with surrender to a Higher Power - that most important kind of surrender that means neither "giving in" nor "giving up" but rather "giving over." Like a weary fugitive from spiritual order, may I stop hiding, dodging, running. May I find peace in surrender, in the knowledge that my Higher Power wants me to be whole and healthy. My Higher Power will show me the way.
Today I Will Remember

First surrender, then serenity.

Today's reading is from the book A Day at a Time: Daily Reflections for Recovering People*

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July 23

We are coming to believe in unconditional love.

Being loved unconditionally may be a new experience. Most of us were trained to get good grades or be extremely well mannered if we wanted to be loved. There were conditions, always.

We may have been raised to believe in a judgmental God too. If so, the God of this fellowship seems hard to trust. ("You mean, no matter what I do, I'll be loved and forgiven by my Higher Power?")

And because of our upbringing, we may be good at setting conditions for family members and friends who want our love. For instance, we may think that they can't let us down in any way or we won't love them.

We're fortunate indeed that we have the example of so many other women and men who have walked this path before us. It has to be possible for us to change too. We must be patient with ourselves. We lived with a very solid mindset for many years. We won't change overnight. But we can change, if we really want to.

I will affirm that I am loved unconditionally many times throughout the day. Time will heal me and change my understanding.

Today's reading is from the book A Life of My Own: Meditations on Hope and Acceptance*

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July 24

Recovery depends on continuing revelation.

~David Crawford

Perhaps we sense that something is still standing in the way of our usefulness to our Higher Power, ourselves, and other human beings. We may be aware of a habit that feels addictive or of fears or resentments that are holding us back, preventing us from fully using our gifts.

Step Six suggests that we become entirely ready for change. This means letting go of our illusions about the ways we limit our freedom and happiness - letting go of any denials or excuses. It means trusting that our attitudes and behaviors are capable of transformation. It does not mean attempting to force situations in which our fantasies of control haven't worked before. Being entirely ready means that we're honest about what hasn't succeeded in the past and that we're willing to accept our Higher Power's help. Genuine honesty and openness to change are the essence of the humility we need in order to grow.

Today, I look honestly at what stands in the way of my life's usefulness.

Today's reading is from the book Glad Day

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July 25

Guilt keeps us stuck.

Who doesn’t have some guilt? Surely no one we know has been "good" all the time. It's human to make mistakes and hurt others in the process. On occasion, we have even intentionally harmed someone. We can't undo the past. What's done is done. However, we can get free of the inhibiting shadow it casts over our lives today if we use the tools of this program of recovery.

The first step in shedding our guilt is to admit to ourselves that some of the things we have done are wrong. The next step is harder. We need to admit our wrongdoing to the one we have harmed and ask for his or her forgiveness. This can be made easier if we remember to bring along our Higher Power.

Why is all this necessary? As long as we have wounds in our relationships, we won't be able to see all the possibilities for growth and change that beckon us today. Our guilt keeps us stuck in the past, and it’s the present that promises us the happiness we desire.

How are my relationships today? Do any feel tense because of my past behavior? If I really want to get the most from what today offers, I need to mend the past. With God's help I can.

Today's reading is from the book The Language of Letting Go: Daily Meditations on Codependency*

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July 26

We may be the only Easter lily some people ever see.

~Rev. R. Oelerich

Regardless of how strange it may sound, we are powerful people! We make a difference in others' lives, for good or ill. We enhance people's lives when we encourage, support, and congratulate. It is easy to downplay the importance of our lifting up our fellow pilgrims even though it is no small thing when we are the beneficiaries of such life-giving gifts.

The newspaper ran a story of a teenaged girl who had been a prostitute. The account was mostly an interview in which she repeatedly told of how she had been put down at home, was made to feel she didn't count, was denied affection, and came to believe that what she did mattered little because no one cared.

The story of her lifestyle change came as a result of a hard-won battle by a social worker who unfailingly mirrored back to the girl that she did count, and that she was a person filled with love and beauty. Perhaps neither the parents nor the social worker would think of themselves as powerful, but in this case they made all the difference.

Today, I will be aware that I make a difference. I will make the world a little better for my being in it.

Today's reading is from the book Days of Healing, Days of Joy: Daily Meditations for Adult Children*

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July 27

What, then, is your duty? What the day demands.

~Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

We live our new lives in recovery "One day at a time." What a relief. Sometimes the changes we are making seem so big we get a little afraid that we can’t do it all. We forget that we don’t have to do it all at once. "Easy does it."

Recovery is not just about what we do every day (or how much we do). It is much more about how we do every day. Am I living today as a person in recovery? Am I being honest, kind, sober, and living by my values? Am I willing to help someone else if they need help?

Of course we need to think about the future, too. We need to have dreams about what our life can be. But these will come. They are not supposed to take our energy today. Today's energy is for living today well.
Prayer for the Day

Higher Power, help me live today in your grace. Help me live a strong, healthy recovery as I learn that life happens "One day at a time."
Today's Action

I will list three things that I handled today like a person in recovery would handle them. I will think about how I would have handled these things when I was using alcohol or drugs. I will call my sponsor and talk about the way I lived today.

Today's reading is from the book God Grant Me: More Daily Meditations from the Authors of Keep It Simple*

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July 28

And if by chance that special place that you've been dreaming of leads you to a lonely place, find your strength in love.

~Michael Masser and Linda Creed

Between disconnection and connection there is a time of transition. That time is called loneliness. During those moments, we choose what to do with that loneliness. We can stay in the lonely place as long as we need to; it's not necessary to force ourselves to move out of it before we're ready. But eventually we must move or the loneliness will deepen, becoming a desert of isolation where we cannot find our way out.

We are meant to be connected to many things: to God, to ourselves, to other people, to life. Maybe the purpose of loneliness is to provide the transition to connection. Rather than experiencing loneliness as something we deserve, or something we brought on ourselves, we can become aware of the deep longing within ourselves to be part of a wider world. We can then do our best to meet our needs and feel pleasure when they are met.

I will let my loneliness provide the impetus for moving me to a different place. I will be patient and gentle with my need for connection.

Today's reading is from the book Answers in the Heart

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July 29

Easy Does It

It isn't the load that weighs us down, it's the way we carry it.

~Anonymous

There is a saying in the entertainment world that it takes most performers at least twenty years to become overnight successes. Many a person who is impatient to set the world on fire could be served best by a discussion on "Easy does it" and "One Step at a time." Like Rome, character wasn't built in a day.

When we try to climb ladders several steps at a time, we invite accidents. But the advice "slow but sure" doesn't mean not making the effort. Progress is always more lasting when made with caution. We solve problems as they arise, rather than trying to move around them.

I risk losing serenity if I let impatience force me into trying to do too much in too short a time.

Today's reading is from the book Easy Does It: A Book of Daily Twelve Step Meditations*

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July 30

Scream at God if that's the only thing that will get results.

~Brendan Francis

People who say they know the way to talk to God are speaking only for themselves. How can anyone say with certainty that this is the way, or that is the way? Or what attitude we are to take, or what words to use, or what to ask for, or whether to ask for anything at all? Our relationship with God is a personal, highly individual thing. We have our own assignment on this journey, and each of us comes to God from a different perspective. There is no right way or wrong way to pray.

A simple act of prayer is enough for some of us; just approaching God is restorative. Others are propelled by intense emotion; our need is so great we must shout. How we do it, though, is not as important as that we do it. The ultimate purpose of prayer is reunion with our Maker. We have gone a long way alone; now we are coming home.

Whether I approach God with a scream or a whisper, I am welcomed.

Today's reading is from the book In God's Care: Daily Meditations on Spirituality in Recovery*

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July 31

My husband, four children, six grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren are the most important things in my life. I love them all.

~Thelma Elliott

Liking, let alone loving, those closest to us seems elusive at times, because as family, we seldom put on our best face for each other. We express our criticism with ease, but showing and receiving love has often been difficult. Yet coming to really love the members of our family, loving their faults as well as their strengths, will help us love ourselves. And loving ourselves is the primary lesson we are here to learn.

Some of us no longer have contact with our blood relatives, whether due to death, abuse, or other complex family dynamics. However, we all have people we consider family. Time is too fleeting and life too fragile to let our most important companions walk by unnoticed, unappreciated, unloved. Each person will benefit - but, even more important, our spirits will be lifted - each time loving thoughts guide our actions.

I will take time to notice the most important friends I have, my family. Those people most important to me will get my love and kind thoughts today.

Today's reading is from the book A Woman's Spirit: More meditations for Women*