Love and Acceptance

This post was inspired by a post by Suburbia...

Back in the old days I used to drink. Seems like very old days now, I'm about 2 weeks off hitting 6 years sobriety - amazing! You know I look back sometimes and it's almost like watching an old movie with some bloke I used to vaguely know in it. Odd. True though that I do feel at times very disconnected from that old persona of mine.

Here's one little example. Back in the old days when I used to drink I often used to say "I love you" to my wife. However just as often and I think on occasions more than I'd say that I'd say "Do you love me?".

Early on as I was sobering up I realised how dumb this was. Why did I need to keep asking? Insecurity; obviously but also because the relationship was all about me not about her and not about a partnership of love.

I had blinding flash one day - well sort of - which was all I could do was love her and hope that the love was reciprocated but if not there is nothing I can do about it. It all comes from the adopted prayer of AA

"God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change. Courage to change the things I can. And the wisdom to know the difference".

So now I don't seek the love of my wife or my children or the respect of my friends and colleagues. All I can do is do my best living my life by my code of good, bad, right, wrong etc. and trust that I'll get thier love and respect back. I cannot demand it and conversely if in living my life my way others don't like, love or respect me you know what... that is fine, that is their privilege and again there is nothing I can do about it but accept it.

Furtheron

Comments

  1. Suburbia28 April 2010 at 16:18

    Yours is far more inspiring than mine. Thanks for your insight.

    I can remember a relationship where I use to ask that question, I knew the answer too, without asking. If you need to ask, then there is always doubt.

    Sx

    ReplyDelete
  2. Gerry Snape28 April 2010 at 20:01

    Thankyou so much for this blog, I'm dealing with someone at the moment who needs help. he went on a 4 day bender at the weekend. I've been tough but it's exhausting.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Tim29 April 2010 at 13:32

    Still learning about you.
    It seems to me one has to live a life in order to draw from it.

    Sometime perhaps we can talk of expression of life through Music

    later
    tim

    ReplyDelete
  4. Aunt Jackie30 April 2010 at 05:26

    Congratulations on the length of your sobriety, you should be proud.

    Life is not an easy thing when you let it overwhelm you, but if you take it one tiny bite at a time, and breathe deeply, inhaling each joy, you can rise above and see that you're way bigger than all the petty pains and that you're the one in control.

    Keep up the fantastic work!!

    <3 Auntie Jaxxx

    ReplyDelete
  5. Liz Hinds3 May 2010 at 17:43

    I think your wife has more than demonstrated her love!

    And your daughter with her cakes.

    ReplyDelete

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