Abundant thinking

• Here’s an instant meeting on ‘Abundance’ Oct 24
• Replacing spiritual poverty with abundance Nov 20

Abuse

• Learning to trust after childhood abuse in an alcoholic home Jun 11

Acceptance

• A mother finds acceptance from reading ...In All Our Affairs Aug 11
• Lessons learned through my dogs Oct 20

Al-Anon Adult Children

• Alcoholism was familiar, but recovery was better May 1
• Setting boundaries insulated me from my mother’s drinking Dec 12
• A son moves past the anger of his childhood Dec 16

Al-Anon Information Services

• Al-Anon Information Services: a spiritual bridge to expand the future Mar 6

Alateen

• One Alateen conference changed my life Jan 14
• What one Alateen group shared and taught Feb 22
• Thanks to Alateen, my life is better Feb 24
• Alateen guides me through the dark Mar 10
• I experienced the benefits my sons gained from Alateen Apr 12
• Learning some spiritual lessons from alcoholism Apr 13
• My parents still drink, but I found hope May 18
• Alateen Conferences: Connecting our Alateens Jun 12
• Alateen helps make my life manageable Jun 22
• Opportunity for emotional growth in Alateen Jul 17
• Alateens reach out to each other—without classroom rules Aug 23
• My mom’s drinking is not my fault Sept 11
• Before Alateen, I was full of hate and guilt Oct 26
• A new freedom in Alateen Nov 10
• Becoming an Alateen Sponsor helped my recovery Dec 8
• Finding forgiveness in Alateen Dec 10

Alcoholism, a family disease

• Son’s alcoholism challenges parents to find new way May 10

Alcoholism, effects of

• I’m a survivor: one woman’s story of overcoming the effects of alcoholism Mar 14
• Al-Anon—after everything else failed Apr 16
• I was ‘crazy’ in love—and couldn’t blame the drinker May 16
• Until Al-Anon, I knew only chaos and mistrust Jun 9

Amends

• Celebrating anniversaries, making amends Mar 28
• Making amends brought joy back into my life Apr 8
• Here’s an instant meeting on ‘Making Amends’ Sept 24

Anonymity

• Anonymity and the World Service Conference Mar 7
• Defining anonymity Apr 14

Changing the things I can

• Cleaning up the "garbage"—on my street and in my life Apr 26

Change

• I made amends to my children by being a better grandparent Jan 13
• How acceptance and the courage to change re-shaped my life Feb 25

Choices

• My life improved when I learned how to make healthy choices Feb 6
• New choices changed my life May 3
• I take responsibility for my own life Oct 1
• Leaving family conflict behind, choosing serenity today Nov 16

Communication

• Disappointment can teach a lesson for growth May 22

Conference Approved Literature

• Rediscovering the merry-go-round Jan 22
• Mini reviews: Members discover Al-Anon’s book on relationships Feb 13
• Using Paths to Recovery for meeting topics Mar 18
• A member shares her story about Paths to Recovery Mar 19
• Finding quick wisdom in As We Understood Apr 28
• Using Al-Anon’s Twelve Steps & Twelve Traditions for meeting topics May 8
• Taking another look at Al-Anon’s Twelve Steps & Twelve Traditions May 9
• Reading From Survival to Recovery helped me say ‘Yes’ to life Jun 20
• Finding Hope for Today to apply the Traditions to my personal life Jul 20
• A mother finds acceptance from reading ...In All our Affairs Aug 11
• Opening my heart to feeling Sept 27
• Understanding my feelings Sept 27
• Putting the focus on me wasn’t selfish Oct 8
• Discovering Choices by accepting my shortcomings Oct 9
• Using How Al-Anon Works for Families & Friends of Alcoholics for meeting topics Nov 14
• Applying Just for Today to my life Dec 18
• Moving through tragedy, “Just for Today” Dec 19
• Just for Today really helped me Dec 20

Control

• Fearing dominance, I created conflict—until my eyes were opened Feb 16

Denial

• Al-Anon gives me the tools, I find the solutions Aug 1

Detachment

• Al-Anon helped my relationship with my son Jan 13
• My son's shoes: reflections on loss and hope Jan 16
• Here’s an instant meeting on ‘Practicing Detachment’ Jun 28
• Mother recognizes detachment as key to son’s recovery Jul18
• I rescued others until detachment rescued me Jul 8

Direction

• Following directions: how Al-Anon helped me find my way Mar 1

Discernment

• Learning the difference between judgment and discernment Apr 6

Embrace the Legacies: Our Spiritual Bridges to Expand the Future

• Our Legacies are a solid foundation for personal growth Jan 12
• Starting an Al-Anon group builds a spiritual bridge to recovery Feb 20
• I dream of carrying our message to everyone, everywhere Mar 12
• Embracing the Legacies—and other program tools: how they changed my life Apr 3
• How I embraced the Legacies to expand my future May 6
• My willingness to embrace the Legacies transformed my life Jun 18
• Al-Anon service puts things into perspective Jul 22
• Using the Legacies to heal family relationships Aug 30
• The Legacies are my bridge to recovery Sept 22
• How I use the Legacies to expand my future Oct 22
• Following a service path, I made myself whole Nov 8
• Embrace the Legacies: Our Spiritual Bridges to Expand the Future Dec 6

Fear

• Here’s an instant meeting on 'Overcoming Fear' Feb 28
• Conquering the spiritual disease of fear Jun 24
• Overcoming fear, finding self-acceptance Aug 22
• Here’s an instant meeting on ‘Worry and Fear’ Aug 28

Feelings

• I came to understand and accept my feelings Feb 8

Finances

• Using Al-Anon principles to solve financial problems Mar 8

Forgiveness

• I learned to forgive my father Feb 3
• Forgiving my parents: an Al-Anon miracle Oct 6
• Forgiving myself was the only path to serenity Oct 10
• To start living, I had to forgive Nov 1

Freedom

• In Al-Anon I have the freedom to be myself Aug 8

Gratitude

• I really am grateful for the alcoholic—because he led me to recovery Mar 4

Grief

• Mourning my mother and finding my own life Aug 6

Growth

• How recovery enriched her personal relationships May 20
• Skeptical loner finds support in Al-Anon Jul1
• My understanding of God changes as I grow Oct 27
• Becoming strong enough to ask for help Nov 23

Honesty

• Here’s an instant meeting on ‘Trust and Honesty’ Jan 28
• Honesty begins with staying true to myself Mar 20

Hope

• Here’s an instant meeting on ‘Finding Hope in Al-Anon’ Mar 24
• After dark days, she found hope Jul 11
• Al-Anon: a light at the end of the tunnel Oct 23

Humor

• Morning in the evening Mar 22
• And I thought I was helping Mar 22
• I thought it went well Apr 29
• Take what you like! Apr 29

International Al-Anon General Services Meeting (IAGSM)

• Face-to-face communication is most effective Feb 14

Legacies

• Using all three Legacies in my personal life May 12

Letters

• Using The Forum to welcome newcomers Jan 4
• Let’s focus on the Steps Jan 4
• I packed my Al-Anon tools while traveling Jan 5
• Lessons from laundry: the world is not against me Feb 4
• How Al-Anon warms my heart Feb 4
• A special thank you Feb 5
• How I use The Forum at meetings Feb 5
• Finding the good amid the bad Mar 3
• An old Forum offers a new solution Mar 3
• The discoveries I uncover while journaling Mar 3
• What I’ve gained from supporting Lone Members Apr 4
• Taking responsibility for myself Apr 4
• Grandson’s drinking is his own business Apr 5
• Using The Forum to reach out Apr 5
• Finding inner strength May 4
• On the road with Al-Anon May 4
• Finding encouragement in The Forum May 5
• Service is essential to my recovery May 5
• Fighting for emotional sobriety Jun 4
• Words that connect us to shared serenity Jun 4
• Finding what I need in The Forum Jun 5
• My family worldwide—through Al-Anon Jun 5
• Forum feedback Jun 6
• It’s never too late for recovery Jul 4
• Age makes no difference Jul 4
• Focus on self opened his life to others Jul 5
• Letting go brought his daughter closer Jul 5
• From tears to laughter with Al-Anon’s help Jul 6
• Trusting her daughter to God gave her a new lease on life Jul 6
• Why I stole—to fill my emotional void Aug 3
• The elephant is still there Aug 3
• Losing my dog helped me find my marriage Aug 4
• Putting myself at the top of the amends list Aug 4
• Gratitude for support and understanding Aug 5
• Buzzing fly gives perspective on serenity Sept 4
• The key to detachment—let live and live Sept 4
• When facing adversity—let go and be willing Sept 5
• When help is needed, look to The Forum Sept 5
• From despair to recovery Oct 4
• Discarding my false self, discovering my true self Oct 4
• There are no ‘small’ choices Oct 5
• Think before jumping Oct 5
• The Forum spoke to my doubts Oct 5
• A high five for the Seventh Tradition Nov 4
• Being self-supporting is more than a financial principle Nov 4
• Letting my Higher Power steer the canoe Nov 5
• Bubbles of blessings Nov 6
• The Forum, my very own meeting Nov 6
• Putting a new face on my problems Dec 4
• I am only in charge of myself Dec 4
• The Forum—invisible at meetings? Dec 5
• A borrowed Forum—a gateway to serenity Dec 5

Letting go

• The Serenity Prayer showed me how to let go Feb 1
• Learning to let go—and enjoy life Aug 26
• Learning to let go after a lifetime of being in charge Sept 6
• I can begin to heal—when I let go Nov 3

Listening

• A father found help when he learned how to listen Nov 12

One day at a time

• Recovering lost socks and finding faith Jun 16

Newcomers

• As an outsider, I couldn’t figure out Al-Anon members Apr 20
• How Al-Anon changed my life in seven weeks May 26
• A newcomer receives an unexpected gift Dec 1

Patterns, Repeated

• Escaping the attraction of abusive alcoholics: How I got better Jan 18
• I repeated the pattern again—but let go more quickly Mar 26

Powerlessness

• Finding strength by admitting I was powerless Jan 27

Public Outreach

• Finding unity in sharing Al-Anon’s message Jan 24
• Al-Anon Faces Alcoholism: my recovery stimulus package Jun 14
• Paying it forward—carrying Al-Anon’s message Sept 12
• Outreach to professionals was a growth opportunity for me Dec 14

Reconciliation

• Family reconciliation, after the wounds of alcoholism Jan 1

Recovery

• Keeping the focus on me helped my recovery Sept 16

Relationships

• How I let go of my pattern of unhealthy relationships Apr 10
• Listening without judgment improves the quality of my relationships Jun 3
• Understanding my past, finding peace today Jul 26
• Making sense of my life—after living with an alcoholic spouse Aug 12
• I felt responsible for everyone’s happiness—except mine Sept 8
• Cancelled wedding was a lesson in acceptance Sept 14

Self-esteem

• Self-esteem and Step Eight: my personal challenge Sept 23
• Standing up for myself, with Al-Anon’s help Sept 28

Self-worth

• Overcoming my inner emptiness Feb 10

Serenity

• From insanity to serenity Sept 1

Service

• Service keeps me engaged with the program Apr 1
• An opportunity for a new type of Al-Anon service May 14
• Al-Anon service brought her closer to her Higher Power Jul 3

Slogans

• Here’s an instant meeting on ‘Using the Slogans’ May 24

Sponsorship

• My Sponsor’s encouragement led to spiritual experience Jan 3
• Sharing recovery: how sponsorship works for me Feb 26
• She’s more than just a Sponsor—she’s my inspiration Mar 23
• Finding a Sponsor prompted my growth Apr 22
• E-mail makes long-distance sponsorship possible May 28
• What does sponsorship really mean? Jun 1
• The joy I experience from sponsorship Jun 27
• Daily e-mails are an opportunity for support Jul 16
• The spiritual lessons I learned from my Sponsor Aug 24
• I was trying to work the Al-Anon program on my own Sept 3
• Sponsorship—a gift to give and receive Oct 18
• Sponsorship is a two-way street Nov 7
• With my Sponsor’s help, I was able to move past my guilt Dec 3

Taking care of myself

• Here’s an instant meeting on ‘Taking care of myself’ July 24

Talk to Each Other

• How members respond to group concerns Jan 8
• How can an atheist or non-theist be a successful Al-Anon member? Feb 25
• Members respond May 23
• A Group Representative asks how to keep group members engaged Jun 15
• Members respond Nov 26
• Help needed for parents of alcoholics Dec 3

The Forum

• Forum sharings are welcomed with loving care Jan 26

Trust

• Here’s an instant meeting on ‘Trust and Honesty’ Jan 28

Trust in a Higher Power

• I no longer swim against the current Oct 14

Twelve Concepts of Service

• Concept One: I don’t have to do everything on my own Jan 31
• Concept Two: Delegating tasks at work and at home Feb 32
• Concept Three: Building a foundation of mutual trust Mar 31
• Concept Four: The difference between participating and controlling Apr 31
• Concept Five: Listening to the minority allows me to grow May 31
• Concept Six: Allowing others to be themselves Jun 31
• Concept Seven: Balance and boundaries guide Al-Anon service Jul 35
• Concept Eight: Trusting the safety of our fellowship Aug 35
• Concept Nine: Leadership, the Al-Anon way Sept 32
• Concept Ten: Balancing expectations while maintaining boundaries Oct 32
• My journey through the Concepts Nov 15
• Concept Eleven: Finding balance through group decisions Nov 29
• Concept Twelve: A blueprint for my family foundation Dec 27

Twelve Steps

• The first three Steps: key to feeling better Jan 6
• Step One: Learning to leave chaos behind Jan 32
• Step Two: I had to understand my beliefs before moving on Feb 30
• Step Three: Learning to really give up control and turn things over Mar 32
• Here’s an instant meeting on ‘Step Four’ Apr 24
• Step Four: Finding the courage to deal with my faults Apr 32
• Step Five: Shame and fear blocked my progress May 32
• Step Six: Learning to let go of my defects Jun 32
• Step Three: Tough experience opened her heart to a deeper understanding of Step Three Jul10
• Step Seven: What I take to my Higher Power Jul 36
• The world is a friendlier place—thanks to the Twelve Steps Aug 32
• Step Eight: Taking a deeper look at life Aug 36
• Step Nine: Making amends can heal a relationship Sept 29
• Self-esteem and Step Eight: my personal challenge Sept 23
• Step Ten: Being ‘right’ is not good enough Oct 28
• Here’s an instant meeting on ‘Step Eleven’ Nov 24
• Step Eleven: Prayer and meditation affect every aspect of my life Nov 30
• Here’s an instant meeting on ‘Step Twelve’ Dec 22
• Step Twelve: Getting lost showed me the way Dec 25

Twelve Traditions

• Tradition One: Considering the whole, rather than the individual parts Jan 30
• Tradition Two: Learning to ‘govern’ my family without controlling them Feb 31
• Tradition Three: Leading the way to compassion Mar 30
• Tradition Four: Autonomy does not mean being disconnected Apr 30
• Tradition Five: The benefits of giving encouragement to others May 30
• A message about attraction—taught by quail Jun 7
• Tradition Six: A newcomer’s lesson Jun 30
• Tradition Seven: Learning to be self-supporting in a healthy way Jul 34
• Tradition Eight: We help each other in fellowship Aug 34
• Tradition Nine: Passing it on—how to share the spiritual benefits of service Sept 30
• Tradition Ten: Minding my own business allowed me to make the right choice Oct 30
• Tradition Eleven: Accepting myself and letting go of shame Nov 32
• Tradition Twelve: Anonymity helps me to see spiritual beauty in every person Dec 26

World Service Conference

• News from the 2009 World Service Conference—Part One Jul 29
• News from the 2009 World Service Conference—Part Two Aug 14

Worry

• Here’s an instant meeting on ‘Worry and Fear’ Aug 28
• Letting go of worry, finding happiness Dec 21