Welcome to the twelfth A Recovery Journey Newsletter. Each bi-monthly issue is devoted to a specific topic related to personal growth and recovery. It will also contain a link to a free ebooklet related to the topic of the month and an introduction to three ebooks offered at  A Recovery Journey.

This Month's Theme - Gratitude

Let me begin by apologizing for not sending out a November/December Newsletter. I was in the midst of a medical crisis. I am happy to report that I am on the mend.

Gratitude can be an "I-made-it-and-you-didn't" kind of reaction. It can be a foxhole response to having dodged a bullet (a negative blood test, a near-fatal automobile accident). Or it can be a general sense of appreciating our daily small gifts—a roof over our heads, food on the table, family, friends.

When I was drinking, I was too preoccupied with my own ego and self-gratification to think of gratitude, which I stereotyped as a reaction of the weak. It was definitely for those who had no self-worth. Today, I am definitely in the gratitude corner. I love being alive. I enjoy my family. I continue to be surprised by the honesty of my grandchildren. And, most of all, I continue to write; I have a place to live; I do service work; and I have a diverse support network.

Setting aside all the worries you have right now—psychological, relational, or financial—what things in your life would you put on a gratitude list?

Have you considered any of these support groups? AA, Adult Children of Alcoholics, Narcotics Anonymous, Alanon, Overeaters Anonymous, and Sex Anonymous?

Ebooklet - Depression

"I tend to forget how really good my life is" Download

Book - A Recovery Journey

A Recovery Journey is about one man's spiritual, intellectual, and emotional journey. It is not just a memoir of the author's recovery from alcohol; it presents a broad synthesis of every aspect of his transformations, insights, values, and behavior changes from the first moment of surrender to the knowledge of his addiction ... Read More

John T Marohn 

John T. Marohn is a retired college teacher, a freelance writer, novelist, poet, socio-political commentator, international film critic, and recovering alcoholic. John currently lives in Buffalo, New York.

His other sites include:

• Tiorunda Stories - a regional novel set in the fifties.
• International Film Studies - learn and experience other cultures through popular foreign films.
• Against the Grain - a blog on non-mainstream observations.

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