Tuesday, June 25, 2024
Today's Gift from Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation is:
Love bade me welcome; yet my soul drew back.
-- George Herbert
A loving invitation is far more powerful than a sales pitch. When we welcome newcomers to the program, it is always appropriate to assure them that things can get better, that they can make them better. We must never give the impression that the task of recovering is easy if you just do it.
The demons behind some of our locked doors have been there for many years. These demons may conceal the death of another, a life spent on drugs, a corner in which to hide because the alternative was just too ugly to face. It is true that we have to face our demons in order to heal. But it is equally true that insensitivity can scare newcomers into backing off. A heartfelt "We’re glad you’re here" is a powerful message of hope.
Today, I will remember how it feels to look, for the first time, at the long path winding over the mountain.
Hazelden Foundation
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