Super Saturday

Wow!!! What a great day, it started with a triple header birthday celebration at our Saturday Morning Gamblers Anonymous Meeting and ended with having a great time with our dear friends. In the morning our little GA group celebrated three birthdays which means each person has been abstinent from gambling and an active participant in the GA Program; we were celebrating a one, five and sixteen year birthdays.

Making one year in the GA Program is reason to celebrate because for every 100 people who enter the rooms for the first time only 8 make it to a birthday celebration. This does not mean that those 92 people who did not make it went out and gambled compulsively; what it does mean (in my opinion) is those 92 people are missing something very special. In addition as the years go by the numbers keep dropping which means we were very blessed to have all these celebrations in one day.

I was also blessed to co-chair the meeting with my dear friend who actually is my "twin" in the Program. My dear friend is my "twin" because we came to the Program on the same day and have stayed with the Program. It was my honor and privilege to co-chair the meeting something quite frankly I didn't believe I would have the opportunity to do a few short weeks ago. However; God wanted me to experience these blessings because God is not ready to commit me to state prison as of yet. I am so very grateful to have experienced this fantastic meeting with some great people in attendance.

We had 50 people attend the meeting; some 40 members and 10 distinguished guests including my wife and two children The meeting lasted 2 hours and 45 minutes which is a very long time but it certainly did not feel long at all. In fact, the first time I looked at my watch we were an hour and fifteen minutes into the meeting and I couldn't believe it had been that long; it certainly did not feel like it. It did not feel like it because there was so much love and positive emotions I didn't want the meeting to end.

One of the functions of someone who chairs a meeting is to ensure the meeting goes smoothly and everyone gets a chance to be heard. I know having a meeting of this length upsets some members but there were so many positive comments made about the three birthday celebrants I couldn't cut anyone off.

We had three very different people celebrated their birthdays; one male and two females. The person celebrating their sixteenth birthday in the Gamblers Anonymous Program is someone very near and dear to me; my sponsor. My sponsor in short has saved my life in so many different ways I will be forever grateful. In fact; my sponsor goes above and beyond the call of duty in not only GA but life. My sponsor gives and gives and gives some more and expects NOTHING in return. My sponsor is the definition of someone who is selfless. I know if it weren't for this person I wouldn't be here today. Thank you so very much you are my inspiration!!

One of the other two celebrants is also a very dear friend of mine and I have written about this person before. Yes, we couldn't be more different but as much as we are different we are very much the same. We are both battling a horrible insidious disease called compulsive gambling. I am so very happy to have come to know this person so very well and I am so happy to call them my friend. Yes, it is quite an accomplishment to reach a one year birthday in the GA Program but I and this person knows the road does not end here. I need this Program in my life or it will be doomed which is why I am so happy to have found a Program and people who have saved my life.

My dear friend was surrounded by their family and friends. It was so nice to see the support because I know when I was gambling I thought of no one but myself and this is the case for most of us compulsive gamblers. So there a great many people who I have hurt through my compulsive gambling as have so many others. This is why it is great to see a fellow recovering compulsive gambler to be surrounded by their loved ones.

There are so many special people in this world and I have come in contact with so many of them in the past fifteen months both inside and outside of the Program. The families and friends of all us recovering compulsive gamblers who stick around the recovering compulsive gambler should be eligible for sainthood. It is not easy to stay around someone like me who messed up the lives of so many people and I am forever grateful for their tremendous support.

It was an awesome meeting and I am so proud of everyone at that meeting. It is not easy recovering from this addiction but I have found a Program which if I apply it to my everyday activities I can't help but recover. However; I must be vigilant each and everyday or I will fall back into my old habits. I want to keep my old habits old and the only way for me to do this is to follow the GA Program to the best of my ability.

Later this evening our dear friends came over with their children. They came over for a family night of fun. The children always play very well together because we have matching sets of children; daughter 8 years old and son 5 years old just like my daughter and son. Even though one of the games we played "Pictionary" is NOT one of my favorites I managed to have a good time. You see; "Pictionary" is a drawing game and I am completely incapable of drawing a straight line let alone wall to wall carpeting. I do however; give anyone else who is playing the game a good laugh because even though I try my drawings are horrible to say the least. We did have a great time and sometimes "Pictionary" can get a little out of control with all the hooten and hollern but I need to be mindful of my ego and this game certainly knocks my ego down a few hundred pegs!!

I will miss these dear friends as I and my family start the next chapter of our lives but I do know that no matter where we are I will never forget all the things they have done for me and my family. These are great people and I am blessed to call them friends.

What an extraordinary day and it was a Super Saturday. My life is full of blessings and today my cup was overflowing. There was so much love all throughout the day and I am forever grateful for all these blessings.