One day during our addicted son’s early recovery, I found a sprouting onion in the pantry. I was going to throw it away when he stopped me, saying he wanted to plant it. This surprised me but I gave him the onion. He planted it outside and faithfully watered it. I shared this in a meeting because it was not typical behavior, even before his drug use.
A Nar-Anon friend suggested it might show a feeling of hope for himself and his new growth in recovery. Her words also gave me hope. He moved away before the stalks had grown much but I continued to water it. The stalks grew tall and sturdy and I was amazed when, at their tips, a cluster of buds formed. One day the buds bloomed into tiny, beautiful white flowers.
I took a photo of the white clusters and look at it often. It reminds me of my own wonderful, life-changing growth in Nar-Anon. My recovery was slow in the beginning and, at times, I felt I was not growing at all, but I kept coming back. To my amazement, I kept growing.
Thought for Today: Recovery and growth did not happen overnight. We would like quick fixes when we first come to Nar-Anon. Instead, we learn to release the addict and grasp our own recovery, not the addict’s. We can only change ourselves.
“Bigness comes from doing many small things well. Individually, they are not very dramatic transactions. Together, though, they add up.” ~ Edward S. Finkelstein