A Care Package Like None Other

I left a gathering of recovery people this weekend with this precious little care package that came together randomly. Thanks to the hospitality of others, and the hotel I was staying at, I ended up with a bag of chips, a cookie, and a banana–all gifts to me for just showing up at the right time. Just showing up, period.

In my drinking days, it was always the right time to get drunk, even when it wasn’t. The alcohol and oblivion I sought overruled common sense and other respectful considerations.

It struck me how fitting these three items are-symbolically, if nothing else. (But I did eat them all as a light lunch after returning home.)

Chips–there are loud, obnoxious, crunchy times in life, some with sharp edges that end up cutting and hurting, creating more pain. In my active alcoholism, I erroneously believed the alcohol softened the edges. It didn’t. It only retracted them for a few hours and then they came back out longer and sharper.

A cookie–sweet and sugary. Life is sweet when I look for the good. Recovery friends and spiritual guides have taught me that over the years. The tough stuff still comes too—but I lean into it and walk through it, instead of denying and running from it. I have learned so much about myself, others, and the world around me by living gratefully instead of manufacturing self-pity at a good clip.

It’s not unusual for recovering alcoholics and addicts to crave sweets. But they are definitely less dangerous than succumbing to a craving for a drink, hit, or pill . . .

The banana is like recovery—peeling layers away to get to the heart of the matter, to the fruit of being a spiritual being on a human path. Being open to what the day ahead may bring, knowing I have better tools to live life on life’s terms than I ever did while drinking. Some days roll along nicely. Others get bumpy. Just for today, I choose recovery and faith helps me ride out the rough spots without needing a dangerous escape.

Just for today, thank you for the sustenance I need. Chips, a cookie, and a banana filled me up. Onward!