The Forum April 2024
Pledge to Myself as the Wife of an Alcoholic
“I will eat when I am hungry, drink when I am thirsty, and rest when I am tired.”
Today, I will be still and listen to myself. I will drop the fallacy in my thinking that holds me solely responsible for the success or failure of my family. I will release a dream to which I was never entitled in the first place.
Today, I will show up in my marriage as I truly am. I will not force myself to become who I think I need to be in order to save it from being demolished by a disease I didn’t cause, I can’t control, and I can never cure.
Today, I will tend to myself first and give others what I have to spare after that. When I overextend myself, I force myself to run on the noxious fumes of resentment.
Today, I will respectfully and gently protect myself and advocate for my needs. I will acknowledge my wants. I will begin to accept reality by accepting my own inner world. When I am not true to myself, I can only cause confusion.
Today, I will hold my head high, knowing that I have done what I can for my marriage and that my Higher Power has the final say. I will eat when I am hungry, drink when I am thirsty, and rest when I am tired. I will meet my emotions with compassion. I will pursue recovery and abandon despair. I will allow my Higher Power to build me back up so that I can make good decisions.
Today, I will “Let Live,” but I will also remember to “Live” myself.
By Auset H., Texas
Reprinted with permission of The Forum, Al-Anon Family Group Headquarters, Inc., Virginia Beach, VA.