Page 149 - The Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous

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128 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS
little. Giving, rather than getting, will become the
guiding principle.
Assume on the other hand that father has, at the
outset, a stirring spiritual experience. Overnight, as
it were, he is a different man. He becomes a religious
enthusiast. He is unable to focus on anything else. As
soon as his sobriety begins to be taken as a matter of
course, the family may look at their strange new dad
with apprehension, then with irritation. There is talk
about spiritual matters morning, noon and night. He
may demand that the family find God in a hurry, or
exhibit amazing indifference to them and say he is
above worldly considerations. He may tell mother,
who has been religious all her life, that she doesn’t
know what it’s all about, and that she had better get
his brand of spirituality while there is yet time.
When father takes this tack, the family may react
unfavorably. They may be jealous of a God who has
stolen dad’s affections. While grateful that he drinks
no more, they may not like the idea that God has ac­
complished the miracle where they failed. They often
forget father was beyond human aid. They may not
see why their love and devotion did not straighten
him out. Dad is not so spiritual after all, they say. If
he means to right his past wrongs, why all this concern
for everyone in the world but his family? What about
his talk that God will take care of them? They suspect
father is a bit balmy!
He is not so unbalanced as they might think. Many
of us have experienced dad’s elation. We have in­
dulged in spiritual intoxication. Like a gaunt pros­
pector, belt drawn in over the last ounce of food, our
pick struck gold. Joy at our release from a lifetime of