Once again, we can look to our Traditions to guide us as we navigate through difficult and uncharted ground. When faced with difficult life circumstances and relationship issues, the 12 Traditions can be the principles of our meetings as well as our interactions with others. Who hasn’t benefitted from Tradition 12’s reminder to place “principles before personalities”?
What more controversial topic is there right now than how and when to reopen our world after the last months of lockdown? There are so many stories and opinions as well as triggers for codependent behaviors. CoDA wisely lays out the guidance in Tradition 10 offering us no opinion on outside issues, which helps us keep the focus where it needs to be, our personal program of recovery.
As we keep the focus on our primary purpose, to carry our message of recovery to those who still suffer, we are opening up our local recovery community to even more options where people can discover the gifts of the program of Co-Dependents Anonymous. Fortunately for us, we live in a time of advancement which allows us to have choices. As in person meetings resume, some local online meetings will also continue to be available on an ongoing basis. This allows each individual to make the choices that are right for themselves.
Of course, each group is autonomous and can discuss and work out the details of how that particular meeting will move forward using the group conscience process. When we gather in our meetings either in person or online, it is wonderful to know we have a safe place to express our feelings about what is happening in our lives. I invite you to find your voice in light of the 12 Traditions of Co-Dependents Anonymous, CoDA’s Guide to Sharing and the Recovery Patterns of Codependence. In order to ensure the emotional safety of those present, we refrain from advice giving, controlling or debating, etc. We recognize that other people are capable of managing their own lives and that we can practice accepting the thoughts, choices and feelings of others even if we are not comfortable with them.
Ultimately, the tools of the program which include the Serenity Prayer, 12 Steps and Traditions and many more are here to help each of us find our recovery from our codependence. They remind us where we are powerless and where we have choices. We grow in our trust of a Higher Power of our own understanding. They guide us to learn to take care of ourselves and allow others to do the same.