Sponsors Are My Hero's

Write a heartfelt letter to someone who has impacted your life and celebrate the art of gratitude as the season of reflection approaches. Vocal Challenge

In my 20s I had a sponsor that asked that I write a gratitude list every day. It started out very short and over time it got longer. I started with how I was grateful for my children and their health. Here is what the letter would say now if she were still alive.

Dear Kelly,

Thank you so much for all that you have done for me in my life. I still write a gratitude list and it is part of my prayers. I thank Creator God for my recovery, for family and friends. I am grateful for everyone's family and partners.

When I heard you had someone else writing a gratitude list to work on their self pity, I knew that was why you had me writing one. I hated you at first. I thought if you had my life you would have some self-pity too.

What I didn't realize is that you did have my life or as close to my life as can be. Only you were a whole lot older. I never thought I would get to your age. And here I am older than you were at the time. And to think I thought you were so old.

When you told me to sell Avon, I thought you were crazy. Then you said that it would help me to take better care of myself. I knew I wasn't good at that. I had two babies and a husband to take care of. I had a full-time job working with kids at community education. How could I fit in Avon.

You knew that it was a small territory and it wouldn't take much work to do what needed to be done. I would make a little extra spending money and I would "Wear the product to sell the product!" Yes, thank you for that, as I did sell everything I wore and more.

The other thing you get credit for is telling me to say the serenity prayer over and over again to be able to live in this day only. I was always living in the past or the future.

When I would get frustrated with my alcoholic husband you would say, "This program asks us to take baby steps as it took a long time to get here and we won't get out of this overnight." Then you said, "Don't talk to him about the important stuff when he has been drinking."

It didn't take long to see that you knew what you were talking about. You said, make sure you have a babysitter you can call if your husband won't take care of the kids for your meeting. I didn't think that would happen but it did. You said it would.

Then when you said to tell him that he should just go drink that he didn't need to start a fight first, that worked. We didn't have to be mad and have that last for days. I started to understand that alcoholism is a disease and that the person can be treated like it is an illness in the same way I would treat other illness.

I know that you loved me before I loved myself. You told me when I said I didn't like anyone in the meeting that I didn't have to like anyone but that it was just important for me to love everyone!

Again, I thought you were crazy. I didn't think I could do that! But as you said, "Just look at each person at the table and tell them with my eyes that I love them." That's it? That works! I can love everyone without liking them. And today, there are very few people I don't like!

When you told me you would be my temporary sponsor, I thought that was a good idea as I thought you were too old for me and what could I learn from you. What a mistake that thinking was as you were the perfect sponsor for me. You helped me to grow up and to deal with life on lifes terms.

It is important for me to tell you how much I appreciate all that you helped me with. Learning about boundaries from you, and self-care helped me to be a better mother, daughter, sister and friend. I am so grateful that you were in my life when I needed you the most.

Miigwech/Thank you!

Denise