A familiar face......

I woke up this morning, stretched out lazily in the bed (which due to my husband being up north was all mine) and thought I would get up, have a light breakfast, get some coffee, and then I saw the clock! 10:00 am! It has been years since I slept this late! and my favorite AA meeting is at 11:00 am so I had to fly. I was doing ok until I remembered that I forgot to pick up a prescription that I need and the drug store I go to closes at noon, so needless to say I was a few minutes late to the meeting. I do not like coming in late, this is a big meeting, and I had to sit along the wall. But it did give me time to take inventory of who was there. One of my favorite AA peeps celebrated his five year anniversary today. I've heard his story and by all means he should have been dead, but fortunately for us he isn't and he's awesome to talk to. He never sugar coates, just gives it to you straight and with love. He was the first person in AA to hand me some truth and boy did it open my eyes. He and my sponsor are good friends, so I always have the truth handed to me :) As I was looking around the room I noticed a new girl. Young, pretty and I was sure I had never seen her at a meeting yet. But then the meeting started and it was awesome! I just soaked up all the conversation like a sponge and wished it could have gone on longer. Before I knew it, it was time for the Lord's prayer. As we were spreading out to accomodate all the people, this girl came right over to me, took my hand, and said my name! I was dumbfounded. Then she told me hers....it was a girl I went to grade school with. We rode the same bus and we were good buddies. The second she said her name we were throwing our arms around each other and as soon as we finished the prayer we sat down and did what girls do best TALKED! She's been coming here for two weeks, just went through a messy divorce, is out of a job, and the story went on...she hasn't really changed a bit since I last saw her some twenty odd years ago. We exchanged cell numbers and hugged many times. Right before she left, she said, "I saw you come in late, and I knew it was you, I would know those eyes anywhere. I couldn't wait for the meeting to end so I could be with a familiar face".....God in action. I love those "bling, bling" moments. To see that the disease of alcoholism doesn't discriminate, that it can get anybody, to see the similarities and not the differences can make that decision of coming to AA feel like it was the best decision you will ever make.......