Positive Steps

I went to my first Al-Anon meeting last night.  I didn't speak, I just listened to the shares, got a feel for the process and content, and didn't linger after.  I gather that there's a "beginners" packet that I should pick up sooner rather than later, which I'll acquire at the next meeting I attend.  If I'm remembering correctly they suggest that beginners audition 9 different meetings (as in venues/times?) to give the process a fair shake.  It might be challenging to fit 9 different meetings into my schedule, but I'll give it a good effort.

The sharing process felt familiar from the seminars I've done with Landmark, and I've already done a bunch of reading on the subject of being an adult child of an alcoholic, so this mostly feels like a continuation of the mental housecleaning I've been engaged in for the past several years ... though of course this is taking one of my most charged topics head on while that situation is boiling to a crisis point.   I expect it'll get a little (okay, a lot) bumpy on occasion, but it's bound to help at least a bit.

Aaaaaaand the betting is closed.

Number 1 wins!  The 'rents aren't coming to NYC.  

Dad:  I'm just letting you know that we're not coming.

Me:  So [stepmonster] still isn't feeling well?  Oh, I can hear her coughing in the background.  When's she going to see the doctor? 

Dad:  Well, she's just generally feeling yucky.  We'll let you know when we reschedule. 

Me:  Ok, you guys take care of yourselves.  Bye.
 

Ok.  I'm quite relieved that I'm not going to deal with them this week.  More time to work the program, as they say, before I have to deal with them in person.