Feeling “a part of”
“The get-togethers after our meetings are good opportunities to share things that we
didn’t get to discuss during the meeting.”
Basic Text, p. 95
Active addiction set us apart from society, isolating us. Fear was at the core of that
alienation. We believed that if we let others get to know us, they would only find out
how terribly flawed we were. Rejection would be only a short step away.
When we come to our first NA meeting, we are usually impressed by the familiarity
and friendliness we see other recovering addicts share. We, too, can quickly become
a part of this fellowship, if we allow ourselves to. One way to start is by tagging
along to the local coffee shop after the meeting.
At these gatherings, we can let down the walls that separate us from others and
discover things about ourselves and other NA members. One on one, we can
sometimes disclose things that we may be reluctant to share at the group level. We
learn to make small talk at many of these late-night gatherings and forge deep,
strong friendships as well.
With our newfound friends in NA, we no longer have to live lives of isolation. We can
become part of the greater whole, The Fellowship of Narcotics Anonymous.
Just for today: I will break free of isolation. I will strive to feel part of the NA
Fellowship.