The Miracle of Ordinary Days

This was the title of a movie-of-the-week a while back and I usually never watch those things, but this one caught my attention.

The message was simple...the miracles of happiness don't occur on one's wedding day or the day you get a big promotion. They happen on simple average days, when you least expect them.

I had one of those days yesterday. Let me explain...

I am a grateful member of Al-Anon. I started going steadily almost a year ago to try to process some of the anger I have as a result of Ex's drinking. Last night someone spoke about a sibling and the spouse and their using and their kids and a horrible accident that nearly killed 3 of them. She burst into tears, basically begging for help on how to get through the holidays.

As we all went around and shared (I was the 3rd one to share) more and more emotions came to the surface for me. By the time the 15th or 16th person shared, I was a teary snotty mess. EVERY SINGLE PERSON said something can could be applied to Ex or my family. Things like learning to keep certain people at an "emotional arms distance," learning the lesson that every difficult situation can teach you, taking care of one's self during this time of year. There are people in this meeting whose childhoods were absolutely horrible...dangerous and painful (emotional and physical) and filled with terrible memories. But they were all able to teach this ex-wife of an alcoholic a little something about forgiveness and moving on.

I cried and cried and the woman sitting next to me, I'll call her D, just hugged me and held me till I was under control...and then she made me laugh. D has many years in program and always says profound things. She's going through a rather difficult situation with her daughter and her brother just died a few weeks ago, but she managed to find joy and show it to me.

And this is the lesson I learned...find joy, cherish it and when you're done with it, pass it on to others...that way, you get to enjoy it again when you watch someone receive it...

So, folks, as you prepare for Christmas and New Years...remember, joy and laughter and faith and love aren't in the gifts, THEY ARE THE GIFTS...