"And acceptance is the answer to all my problems today. When I am disturbed, it is because I find some person, place, thing or situation-some fact of my life-unacceptable to me, and I can find no serenity until I accept that person, place, thing or situation exactly the way it supposed to be at this moment. Nothing, absolutely nothing, happens in God´s world by mistake. Until I could accept my alcoholism, I could not stay sober; unless I accept life completely on life´s terms, I cannot be happy. I need to concentrate not so much on what needs to be changed in the world as on what needs to be changed in me and in my attitudes.
"Shakespeare said, ´All the world´s a stage and all the men and women merely players.´ He forgot to mention that I was the chief critic. I was always able to see the flaw in every person, every situation. And I was always glad to point it out, because I knew you wanted perfection just as I did. AA and acceptance have taught me that there´s a bit of good in the worst of us and a bit of bad in the best of us; that we are all children of God and we each have a right to be here. When I complain about me or about you, I´m complaining about God´s handiwork. I am saying that I know better than God."
- from the book Alcoholics Anonymous
Accepting things has NOTHING to do with liking what is happening. Expectations of what was supposed to happen, as opposed to what actually does, can throw me into a sobriety-threatening situation. EXPECTATIONS - the idea that people will follow a script I have unintentionally written - is a killer for me.
What really concerns me is that you drank over this.
I have yet to meet a situation, thank God, that made we want to drink. And that includes seeing my father and my sister die before my eyes - and being there with my family and being able to be present.
And that is not my doing...I had been given the gift of real sobriety, and for that I am grateful.
'God grant me the grace not to 'should' on myself (and everyone else).'
HUGS!
