the quality or feeling of being grateful or thankful: He expressed his
gratitude to the staff. (dictionary.com)
Thanksgiving Day marks the beginning
of the Holiday Season. This season can be a stressful time, especially for
those who are in recovery or for the loved ones of people in recovery. The
season brings up many issues including: money, relationships and even, for
some, an intensified loneliness. It’s important to remember during this time,
just like the rest of the year – you are not alone. You are not alone in your
struggle or your stresses. Thanksgiving is the time to start the season by
reflecting on what you have and coming to the realization that it is enough;
enough to push on through and enough to continue on your road to recovery, or
to walk beside a loved one on their road.
Growing up, like most kids, I always
wanted more and felt I never had enough. It seems to only be human nature to
think this way. Through some hard times with friends and family, I was able to
see that I always had what I needed – though it may not have always been what I
wanted. That’s the funny thing about the words “want” and “need,” they tend to
be interchanged easily to a fault of our own. As humans, having the ability to
think and having free will takes away from having instincts to know what we
need versus what we want. A way to change this mindset is to take a step back,
take a breath and look at your life from the outside in. Look inward at how far you've come and all that you've accomplished during your struggles and always
keep moving forward.
The Drug & Alcohol Rehab Asia website has a great explanation of the
important relationship between positive thinking and gratitude as a step in
recovery, but is also helpful to anyone struggling. The site reads:
Positive thinking can greatly improve
an in individual’s mental and physical health. It gives them energy and the
confidence to do the things that will make their life better. Gratitude and
positive thinking go hand in hand. In fact, it would not really be possible for
people to experience much positivity if they are not happy with their life. If
people feel grateful they will automatically be thinking positively.
Aspects of GA’s 12 steps, such as acceptance,
admittance, humility, and amendments are all qualities of achieving and
understanding gratitude. As Melody Beattie, author of Codependent No More, expresses, “Gratitude unlocks the fullness of
life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into
acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a
feast, a house into a home, confusion to clarity. Gratitude makes sense of our
past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.”
The Council would like to extend their
gratitude to all those that support and are part of our organization. Every
person who passes through our doors, whether literally or through other ways of
communication, helps to make us who we are and strengthen us as individuals and
as an organization. Thank you.
We, at the Council, wish you a happy, healthy and safe
Thanksgiving.
If you are going to be alone on
Thanksgiving, please remember most meetings are still in session. If you have a
phone list for your meeting, please double check that your meeting is still
happening. If not, or you are new to GA and Gam Anon, please call the GA
Helpline at 888-GA-HELPS
(888-424-3577) ; if you are
in Western Massachusetts, please
call: (855) 222-5542.
Here is a list of Thursday meetings
that have been cancelled for
Thanksgiving Day:
Wilmington
Newton, Boston College
Boston (Mass Council
location)
Here is a list of Thursday meetings
that should be in session on
Thanksgiving Day. If you have a phone list for your meeting, please double
check that your meeting is still happening. If not, or you are new to GA and
Gam Anon, please call the GA Helpline at 888-GA-HELPS (888-424-3577) ;
if you are in Western Massachusetts,
please call: (855) 222-5542 :
763 Longmeadow St., Longmeadow, MA 01106
Longmeadow, MA
Region: West
Gam-anon. Regular.
Eagles Club - 7:00 PM, Thursday
71 City Hall Ave., Gardner, MA 01440
Gardner, MA
Region: West
GA. Discussion Meeting.
St. Paul's Lutheran Church (Near Lowe's) - 7:30 PM, Thursday
389 Greenwich Ave., Warwick, RI 02886
Warwick, RI
Region: Rhode Island
Non-Smoking
St. Paul's Lutheran Church (Near Lowe's) - 7:30 PM, Thursday
389 Greenwich Ave., Warwick, RI 02886
Warwick, RI
Region: Rhode Island
Gam-Anon
St. Paul's Lutheran Church (Near Apex) - 9:30-11:00 AM, Thursday
389 Greenwich Ave., Warwick, RI 02886
Warwick, RI
Region: Rhode Island
Non-Smoking
Hampstead Congregational Church (Rt. 121) - 7:30 PM, Thursday
61 Main Street, Hampstead, NH 03841
Hampstead, NH
Region: New Hampshire
Open meeting, no smoking
First Church Of Christ (Corner of Rte. 5 & Rte.192) - 10:00 AM, Thursday
763 Longmeadow Street, Longmeadow, MA 01106
Longmeadow, MA
Region: West
GA
Plainville United Methodist Church (Intersection of Rt. 106 and Rt. 1A) - 7:30 PM, Thursday
16 E Bacon St., Plainville, MA 02762
Plainville, MA
Region: South East
Open Meeting; Non-smoking
Jordan Hospital (Exit 5 off Rt. 3), Boynton Conference Rm. - 7:30 - 9:00 PM, Thursday
275 Sandwich St., Plymouth, MA 02360
Plymouth, MA
Region: South East
GA, Open, Non-smoking, Intensive Step Meeting
United Memorial Methodist Church - 7:00 PM, Thursday
176 Somerset Avenue, Taunton, MA 02780
Taunton, MA
Region: South East
GA, Non-smoking
St. Joseph the Worker Church (Intersection of Rt. 14 and Rt. 58, across from police station) - 7:00 PM, Thursday
1 Maquan St., Hanson, MA 02341
Hanson, MA
Region: South East
GA, open-meeting,
Christ the King Parish, Rt. 151 & Jobs Fishing Rd. - 11:00 AM to 12:30 PM, Thursday
5 Jobs Fishing Rd, Mashpee, MA 02649
Mashpee, MA
Region: Cape
GA; Regular; Non-Smoking
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