Keep coming back!
“We are grateful that we were made so welcome at meetings that we felt
comfortable.”
Basic Text, p.80
Remember how scared we were when we walked into our first NA meeting? Even if
we walked in with a friend, most of us recall how difficult it was to attend that first
meeting. What was it that kept us coming back? Most of us have grateful memories
of the welcome we were given and how comfortable that made us feel. When we
raised our hand as a newcomer, we opened the door for other members to approach
us and welcome us.
Sometimes the difference between those addicts who walk back out the door of their
first meeting, never to return to NA, and the addicts who stay to seek recovery is the
simple hug of an NA member. When we have been clean awhile, it’s easy to step
back from the procession of newcomers-after all, we’ve seen so many people come
and go. But members with some clean time can make the difference between the
addict who doesn’t return and the addict who keeps coming back. By offering our
phone numbers, a hug, or just a warm welcome, we extend the hand of Narcotics
Anonymous to the addict who still suffers.
Just for today: I remember the welcome I was given when I first came to NA. Today,
I will express my gratitude by offering a hug to a newcomer.