The Forum is an international monthly publication of Al-Anon Family Groups, that offers help and hope for the families and friends of alcoholics.  Al-Anon and Alateen members share their challenges, insights, and progress along their path of self-discovery and spiritual growth.  The magazine also includes topics for discussion at meetings as well as news and information from Al-Anon's World Service Conference and World Service Office. To order your subscription click External link opens in new tab or windowHere


The following articles are reprinted from the May 2025 issue, with permission of  The Forum,

Al-Anon Family Group Headquarters, Inc.,Virginia Beach, VA


Tapping into Serenity         by Eric F.

One morning, I was sitting outside enjoying a cup of tea and looking at the trees across an open field.  A slight mist drifted through the treetops, and a large maple dropped the occasional spinning seed that floated gracefully to the ground.  I felt peaceful and joyous.  I wondered why I don't feel this way more often.
     I realized how rarely I take the time to sit quietly and appreciate the beauty of the world around me.  One of Al-Anon's gifts is learning to be present in the moment, not resentful of the hurts of the past or consumed by fears of the future.  But I easily forget that lesson, and I lose my serenity.
     Working the Twelve Steps, attending meetings, meeting with my Sponsor, talking to other Al-Anon members, and reading the literature are all ways to find that peace and joy I felt from watching the morning mist in the trees.  All I have to do is remember and use the Al-Anon gifts to reclaim my serenity.

Revisiting Trust           by Anonymous

Before Al-Anon I trusted everyone and no one.  How could that be?  I had no boundaries, so I blabbed and complained to anyone who would listen.  Yet, I didn't share with those who mattered in my life, because I might be questioned and held accountable.  I rarely let anyone see who I really was.
     My husband had an affair the summer before I started attending Al-Anon.  I allowed myself to be manipulated.  I believed the lies I was told and convinced myself that what I saw and heard was wrong.  After discovering the truth, I had all kinds of suspicions and trust issues.  Coming to Al-Anon changed that.
     Honestly, after reading Step One, I recognized that my life was unmanageable.  I realized that without boundaries, I couldn't trust anyone, especially myself.  So, I kept coming back and started to work on myself.
     I continued to go to meetings and got a Sponsor.  I began to learn who I was and how fear controlled my life.  I learned trust from my Sponsor.  She also showed me that my Higher Power has my best interests at heart.  She helped me to see how many times I had been taken care of and to believe I would continue to be.  I began to trust my Higher Power.  I started to feel safe, and I could talk myself down from the ledge of suspicion.  Today, when I feel suspicious, I check to see whether I have distorted perceptions and whether fear plays a role.  Trust is a decision I can make because I know I am not alone.  I rely on my Higher Power.

     
Unfurling As Myself           by Janet H.

There came a time in my recovery when I became aware of something missing, some imbalance.  I was aware of my shortcomings and had become more willing to make amends and changes.  The image of me emerging from the peeling back of the layers of an onion left me with the question, "Now what?"
     One more time my Higher Power had brought me to a challenge: to keep growing.  I was more than shortcomings, and the Fourth Step had asked me to see my assets, strengths, and gifts.  So, during my morning quiet time with "HP", I accepted the challenge of becoming more like myself - like the me that my Higher Power knows lies within.  With trepidation,
I admitted that I did have gifts and talents.  The next step was to recite them to myself and believe that this was my truth.  This did not come easily, and at times I felt like a fraud.  And now the scariest awareness of all had appeared - I needed to use them.
     This has been my challenge and my joy.  It took courage to step into my new world, which meant that I needed to take risks. I take away from our literature that growth, though painful, is worth seeking.  I used to think that only famous people were talented, that only musicians, actors, artists, and athletes had gifts.  Today, I know that is not true.  In As we Understood...(B-11), there is a wonderful reading that tells me we all have gifts, and I found this comforting.
     Today, my image of growth is a rose.  It begins with a tight bud.  Graadually, a tinge of color becomes visible, then petals slowly appear.  And as the sun shines upon it, the rose unfurls more petals, and its color deepens until it reaches its full magnificence.  This is my journey now, to sit in my Higher Power's warmth and grow my talents.