Sober since 12/15/1984. Humorous story with moments of tearful joy, Sheila is a favorite among listeners. She is active in sponsorship. She was fresh out of ideas and in desperation when she came into AA and stayed until she caught alcoholism. Her dad was a long term member of AA who died two years before this talk. Her parents got divorced before she was old enough to realize it. Her mom was an alcoholic who found it hard to take care of her kids. Sheila and her family came to California to live near her dad. Her mother left in the middle of the night and Sheila did not see her again until she was 18. Dad got sober in AA and Shelia got exposed to the program early. Her dad married a woman in AA with two kids and they had kids together. It was not the Brady Bunch. The marriage did not last. Sheila and her dad did not get along for years and lived separately. She drank and used drugs through several marriages. She drank and used drugs while pregnant. Her mother died of the disease and that death helped Sheila and her dad mend their relationship. Her prayers in AA have gone from "Help me!" to "Give Me!" to hopefully now, "Use Me."
(1 hr 6 min) (30.6 MB) (id#196)