From Hope For Today, October 16:
“One winter afternoon a friend and I took a stroll along a frozen lake. The lake was covered with a thin sheet of ice, but it showed cracks in some places where the ducks had been busily swimming. Most of the ducks were in a large area of open water, but two of them were in a smaller area that was separated by a barrier of ice. One of them tried repeatedly to get to the other side. She frantically tried to scramble over the thin wall of ice, but it broke under her weight as soon as she approached it. The duck didn’t give up, however, and continued her crazy ice dance.
At first my friend and I burst out laughing at the hilarity of the duck’s antics. Before too long I grew philosophical. The duck’s situation seemed strangely familiar. How often had I tried in vain to be happy by always using the same unsuitable means, much like the duck that had forgotten she could fly over the wall of ice! What constitutes the “wings” that I have forgotten?
In Al-Anon I have the opportunity to mend my “wings” or even to fashion a new pair if I choose. ‘This program has shown me that I have choices. I could stay the way I was, or I could change.’”
Change is critical for all of us, addicts and non-addicts like, in order to cope with addiction and learn to live well. “It’s the best revenge!”