Narcotics Anonymous

Just For Today - Daily Email Service

   September 18                                          Honest relationships

      "One of the most profound changes in our lives is in the realm of
                           personal relationships."

                                                            Basic Text, p. 55

                           ----=----

   Recovery gives many of us relationships that are closer and more intimate
   than any we've had before.    As time passes, we find ourselves
   gravitating toward those who eventually become our friends, our sponsor,
   and our partners in life.   Shared laughter, tears, and struggles bring
   shared respect and lasting empathy.

   What, then, do we do when we find that we don't agree with our friends
   on everything?  We may discover that we don't share the same taste in
   music as our dearest friend, or that we don't agree with our spouse
   about how the furniture should be arranged, or even find ourselves voting
   differently from our sponsor at a service committee meeting.    Does
   conflict mean that the friendship, the marriage, or the sponsorship is
   over?  No!

   These types of conflict are not only to be expected in any long-lasting
   relationship but are actually an indication that both people  are
   emotionally healthy and honest individuals.   In any relationship where
   both people agree on absolutely everything, chances are that only one
   person is doing the thinking.   If we sacrifice our honesty and integrity
   to avoid conflicts or disagreements, we give away the best of what we
   bring to our relationships.  We experience the full measure of partnership
   with another human being when we are fully honest.

                           ----=----

   Just for today:  I will welcome the differences that make each one of us
   special.  Today, I will work on being myself.