Not Feeling So Good

Yesterday wrapped up with the Sunday evening Gamblers Anonymous meeting. This is a candlelight meeting and there is something about the candlelight that makes the meeting more personal. I continue to commit myself to this meeting and sometimes I would like others in the program to commit them to this meeting as well.

Last week there was a member that poured their soul out regarding the fact that they had just gone back out to gambling in spite of being part of the program for almost two years. It was very sad to hear this and I was hoping this person would be back this week but this was not the case as their absence was noted. I certainly can only work one recovery which is mine but I must admit it is truly sad knowing what this addiction of compulsive gambling can do to people. I am an example of this power and where it can lead to. Thankfully recovery leads me down the right road of recovery.

The meeting went very well and once again the attendance was sparse. A very dear friend made a great statement as the comment was made that everyone in attendance at last night’s meeting had been a Secretary. This was indeed a great point because it illustrates the fact as to why we are committed to the program. My sponsor once said to me that it is interesting how at some meetings the people in attendance are the least likely to need a meeting. This may very well be the case but I know for myself I need and want Gamblers Anonymous in life just like my sponsor does (who incidentally has many more years in the program than I). This is why I need to stay connected and focus on the upside of the program which is the fact that my life is saved every day because of recovery.

Instead of returning home after the meeting we (as a family) decided to utilize one of the gift cards we have and go out to dinner. We made our way to a family restaurant and had a family together. The meal went very well and we are blessed to have two well behaved children. My daughter is slowly drifting into teenage hood in spite of her age. She is more comfortable with her “DS” in hand and yes, we allow her to keep herself occupied.

This could be construed as bad parenting but we will keep a close eye on this since it seems to be the wave of the new generation. When I was out to dinner with my friends over the weekend we witnessed a couple that didn’t say two words to one another because they appeared to be texting other people. I guess the personal contact is too much for some people and I certainly want my daughter to understand that it is better to talk to a person than to be immersed in some electronic device. On the other hand my son was content to match his baseball cards with me.

It was indeed a wonderful weekend through and through. I did feel a slight “twinge” in my throat as if I were getting a cold. I haven’t had a cold or been sick since I was released almost 9 months ago and the fact that my daughter had just gone through her bout with I cold I guess I was due. I didn’t feel well at all this morning upon waking up and not only was my throat bothering me I had body aches. I really don’t know what flu like symptoms are but these body aches were pronounced. I had an appointment today that I had to cancel and after thinking long and hard I passed on my running for the first time in a very long time.

I had just finished reading an article about “listening to your body” about whether or not to run. This was an exercise for me because my mind was saying one thing where my body was saying something else. There was a time I would have made my way to the gym and try to sweat out the cold but today I thought I would be better served resting for the day. I did rest and as I canceled my appointment I was informed about a homeopathic remedy at a local health food store.

I did purchase the remedy since I don’t do well with any of the over the counter medicines. This could stem back to an “episode” with the Contact cold medication some years ago but anyhow I have always had strange reactions to medicines. Most people sleep well after taking Nyquil but this has the opposite effect on me so trying the natural remedy made sense. As the day went on I felt better but I didn’t do much of anything except for some computer work. I was able to have a game of football with my son and his friend which is always fun but for the most part rest was the prescription for the day. As always I will asses my condition one day at a time!