Twelve Ways of Christmas

Twelve Tips on Keeping Your Holiday Season Sober/Clean and Joyous

1. Line up extra A.A./NA activities for the holiday season. Arrange to take newcomers to meetings, answer the phones at a clubhouse or central office,or help line, speak, help with dishes, or visit the detox ward at a hospital.

2. Be host to A.A./NA friends, especially newcomers. If you don¹t have a place where you can throw a formal party, take one person to a diner and spring for the coffee.

3. Keep you A.A./NA telephone list with you all the time. If a using/drinking urge or panic comes‹postpone everything else until you¹ve called an A.A./NA

4. Find out about the special holiday parties, meetings, or other celebrations given by groups in your area, and go. If you¹re timid, take someone newer than you are.

5. Skip any drinking/using occasion you are nervous about. Remember how clever you were at excuses when using/drinking? Now put the talent to good use. No office party is as important as saving your life.

6. If you have to go to a using/drinking party and can¹t take an A.A./NA with you, keep some candy handy.

7. Don¹t think you have to stay late. Plan in advance an "important date" you have to keep.

8. Worship in your own way.

9. Don¹t sit around brooding. Catch up on those books, museums, walks, and letters.

10. Don¹t start now getting worked up about all those holiday temptations. Remember "one day at a time." And "Just for Today"

11. Enjoy the true beauty of holiday love and joy. Maybe you cannot give material gifts, but this year, you can give love.

12. "Having had a Špiritual awakening... No need to spell out the Twelfth Step here, since you already know it.

Adapted From a Box 459 Holiday Issue
Noreen S
Neeron@cinci.rr.com