A sober reminder.

[Kajsa]

i attended a memorial service Saturday for a fellow AAer
who passed away (sober)a few weeks back.
Jack started many meetings in this area, founded a women's
recovery home and helped hundreds of fellow alcoholics get
and stay sober.

The home he started is named Lynn's House.
Ray, Jack's sponsor was there and told us the story of Lynn.
She died from our disease and was destitute at the time.
She died not far from where I live.

After the service, on the way home it hit my like a ton of bricks.

I knew Lynn. She had helped celebrate one of my AA birthdays
with me and several friends at my house after a meeting, years ago.
Another time, I remember picking her up at Jack's place, taking her
to a meeting and talking over coffee afterwords.
We lost track of each other.

Not all of us make this program.
I sometimes take that for granted.

I am not taking that for granted now.

RIP, Jack and Lynn.

[get the red out]

1. Amazing

It is amazing and ironic that my husband and I lost a friend, who died sober, this past week whose name was Jack. He was a Viet Nam vet and battled the after effects of what he experienced in the war every day, but the man stayed sober for 15 years and left this world sober. He really helped my husband keep a step meeting in our area going once when it was about to die. DH was especially hit hard with the knowledge that his friend passed at the same hospital he was in at the time for kidney problems and he had no idea. He said he came out alive and much better and Jack did not come out.

Bless those we loose whether their drinking ends on this Earth or not, I will think no more or less of them either way. This is a rough ride to take sometimes but we do the best we can. I am grateful for the people I have met along the way because they make my life more than it would have been.

[Kajsa]

2. Thank you, GTRO!

That is beautifully stated and yes,
it really is something that two great guys
named Jack, who stayed sober and helped
others do the same, passed away around the
same time.

My condolences to you and your husband.

:hug: