Where were we 23 years ago when one of the worst tragedies occurred on American soil? I was a juvenile justice social worker in La Crosse, Wisconsin. I looked out the window on the third floor of the Human Service building. I could not believe what I was hearing and watching. Hate, anger, and uncontrolled power impact the entire human race.
Steve was at the celebration of his friend who turned 60 years old. A caterer tells Steve his mother and siblings wish to speak with him. Steve says, “Who is my mother and siblings”? They are the bloodline of his family. They are the ones who stand behind him and support his well-being. Who is Steve talking about?
When we look in the mirror it is us who is a brother and sister of Steve. How do we treat our brothers and sisters? Are we ignoring them? How often do we walk by them? Are we the type who drives by because we don’t want to get involved in a person’s challenges? This becomes the question, not who is our siblings and mother.
Steps #8 and #9 (see below) give us pause for reflection today. Are we loving one another and becoming the best version of ourselves? A friend once told me there are two reasons we can find purpose and meaning in our lives. Recovery/Life is about learning to love ourselves. Second, to love our neighbor. How can we be a loving brother and sister if we can’t get along with our next-door neighbor? How are we loving when we ignore our brothers and sisters?
How can we love others when it’s difficult to show compassion, kindness, and love? How can we love others when we think we know who they are without knowing who they are? How can we love to get to know someone without stopping to talk with them, listening to them, and asking questions?
This is what our humanity is about. We can experience peace on earth if we learn to love one another. Hate and anger take so much energy. Love doesn’t take energy, it provides energy. Love provides energy that we need to live. So what are we going to do to Recover/Live and heal? Let’s love ourselves and our neighbor. Let’s love each other and be genuine toward each other. Let’s find energy through Recovery/Life which is a gift to us. We can feed our hearts and souls with the energy of love.
- Step #8: We acknowledge our behaviors have impacted our relationships. We list those affected by our behavior and whenever possible become willing to reconcile or thank them for their support during a relapse or mental health crisis.
- Step #9: We seek mutual reconciliation for a harmful action we committed and seek forgiveness from those we harmed or were impacted by our behavior. Then, let go of our shame because it no longer serves a purpose in our lives, we understand we were designed because we are loved and to be in relationships with other people.
SuperHuman Being
Peace
Larry
email: ljw@superhumanbeing.net
website: https://superhumanbeing.net/
