When I was in my addictive condition, I found it exceedingly difficult to celebrate. The more my condition deep and the less I celebrated and eventually I stop celebrating altogether. Coming into recovery I learned that just not drinking and using, while not engaging in the other negative behavior, was the beginning of a new approach to celebrating life. That celebration has continued for over 3 1/2 decades. I learned to celebrate each victory. I learned that celebration was an outward expression of an inward change. Let us look at this word celebration and speak of it in terms of our personal recovery.
What does celebrate mean and how do we translate it into the life we now live.
- To perform a sacrament or solemn ceremony publicly and with appropriate rites.
- To honor an occasion, such as a holiday, especially by solemn ceremonies or by refraining from ordinary business.
- To mark something, such as an anniversary, by festivities or other deviation from routine.
Before you and I came to recovery, it was not often or regularly that we had reason to celebrate. Even when we did, it was usually short-lived. After that, the reality of the direction our addiction was taking us brought us back to earth. Once again, we were faced with the consequential life that our behavioral choices had brought us to. One of the most wonderful things I learned about recovery was the element of celebration. Baked into the cake of the recovery plan was a celebration. I remember walking into the rooms of AA and being given a welcome chip. Those who were there when I arrived decided to celebrate my arrival. Where I came from, people did not celebrate my arrival. I trained them to be overly cautious and concerned by it. As I learned more of the 12 Step Program, I learned that I could celebrate One Day at a Time. After that, I found out they wanted to give me a chip to celebrate 30 days of continual recovery. All the time we were celebrating ODAAT.
Then came the celebration for 60, 90, 6 months, 9 months, 1 year, and so on. It seemed that I was being transported from a place where celebrating was temporary to a life where celebrating could be a light on the path to the rest of my life. I decided then and there to never leave. What does celebrating bring to us?
- A daily reminder that we have a new life.
- An energy that is encouraging to us.
- A place to live for the rest of our lives.
Let us live in the celebration of what we have been given. I have found that those who celebrate find ways to enjoy life to the fullest. I hope to see you there.
Robert Pardon
Robert is the Recovery Guy. Getting clean and sober on April 25, 1986 has given me the insight and practical skill set to not only stay sober, but to also re-invent myself to the person I always wanted to become. Showing others how to do this is my life goal.
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