I'm Kerri, an alcoholic.

When I found AA, I was on the computer. I was a scared little 18-year-old and I had no idea which way to go. I thought that a bunch of online people could keep me sober, but I was wrong. I had to take their suggestions about going to meetings. But one thing I did learn from those people on the computer, the ones who took time out to share their experience, strength and hope with me, they never made demands on me. They shared with me how their life was, how AA changed it for them, and how good they felt about going to meetings. I learned a lot, and when I was ready and willing to go to my first face-to-face meeting, I found the people there did the same thing for me. I got a sponsor who never told me what to do. She taught me with kindness and her own experience. I had some things in my past my sponsor had never experienced, so she sent me to someone who had. Today, I do that with my sponsees. If I have never been through a situation they are going through, I help them find someone who has. Because I can't share something I don't have. I can research, I can read all the books, but I will never know that feeling. I have been through many things in my short life, and when I was 'out there,' they all brought me down. I was full of the "Why me's!" But when I came to this program I found my Higher Power had given me a gift ... the gift of experience, the experience of getting through it, and the experience of using it to help others. I was told AA made no demands and would not chastise you for what you are doing. All we can do is share our experience, strength, and hope with each other and learn slowly as we trudge this sometimes bumpy road to our happy destiny. Life isn't always going to be perfect, but with every curve I learn something new. Telling someone to just forget and let go of it isn't much help, because I know for me, I have to live it, feel it, and learn from it, before my Higher Power will take it away. And He will only do that when I have learned what I needed to learn, so I can pass it on to the next person. Thanks for letting me share.
- Kerri