March 27

What a Blessing that we can walk into a Narcotics Anonymous meeting and no one will judge us. According to our Third Tradition, "The choice of membership rests with the individual.' " We are free to come and go as we please.

Some of us came to our first meeting, tore up, from the feet up. We were Accepted the way we were, we were asked to keep coming back.

With this reception most of us kept coming back. Coming back saved our Lives, we no longer felt alone, our isolation was coming to an end. After some time being Abstinent and working Steps, we noticed we might not feel as welcome as we once did; people got to know us and maybe our inventory was being taken. The same people that clapped and told us to keep coming back, were now judging and moralizing us.

It doesn't matter how long we have been coming around, we all need to be Celebrated, not tolerated. Our Traditions protect us from each other, but some may not Live by Spiritual Principles. Although we're powerless over other's actions, we're not powerless over ours.

We can continue to Greet each other like it's the first time we've met. We could show Compassion even if we don't feel it. We can do our part, we could continue if we choose to, hugging the members that we feel don't like us.

Judging someone's defects is a defect, it's called self-righteousness. One of the Principles of our Third Tradition can be Equality; we all have a right to Recover. Practicing Principles before Personalities keep judgments from happening.

Living the Steps and incorporating the Principles of our Traditions will serve as the Resolution. We have to start with self, if we're not the problem, there is no Solution.