Anything But Gratitude as a Topic

Happy 2016 loyal reader, I might as well start off the year offending someone (as being offended seeded to be all the rage in 2015). So here goes…

A good friend of mine and I have an ongoing joke about starting a 12 Step discussion meeting called, “The Anything but “Gratitude” as a Topic Group. The reason behind the joke is that we find gratitude meetings extremely irritating. The reason being is that we believe that gratitude is shown by our actions and that one shouldn’t be sharing about it (as it is a program of humility). A person should be showing his/her gratitude by doing some sort of service work. Be it service work in the Fellowship, within the community or within one’s family. Gratitude comes in many forms.

It is common, at least in my area, for 12 Step groups to hold gratitude meetings at this time of year. I hadn’t gone to one in probably five years but went this year as I needed a meeting. What I discovered is that the same thing is being said around the table today as it was 11 years ago when I first got into recovery. There’s a group of people who sit around the table sharing what they are grateful for – be it family, sobriety, health, etc. – and that it never would have happened if not for Alcoholics Anonymous. Then there are others who share that they don’t talk about gratitude but show it by helping others. All of this is fine and dandy and a great sentiment but it tends to become a tad bit tedious.

While this type of meetings makes most people feel good I have a hard time seeing how it helps the still suffering alcoholic. For isn’t our primary purpose to help those suffering from alcoholism (or addiction in the case of other Fellowships)?

May everyone’s year filled with continuous sobriety and prosperity.

Dave the Dude