Our Gratitude Dinner

The District 34 Gratitude Dinner was tonight at the North Bellevue Community Center.  It has been a sellout crowd of 250 people for the last ten years.  By far and away, it is the most consistent holiday tradition I have ever had in my life. 

We did not have a Gratitude Dinner in 2000.  Nobody rented the hall and they somehow went in the hole $2000 the previous year.  I rented the hall from 2001 until 2012.  I definitely feel a small piece of pride in having been part of making this be what it is.  It is a great Gratitude Dinner for our local AA and Alanon community.

Tonight’s vaguely followed theme was “love and service” which is from Dr Bob’s short speech at the AA’s 1950 first International Convention “Our Twelve Steps, when simmered down to the last resolve themselves into the words “love” and “service.” We understand what love is, and we understand what service is. So let’s bear those two things in mind.”

I was blessed to be able to pick out the theme while making the tickets, help set up before the event tonight, rinse the empty food platters during the Alanon speaker, bring several new people and help organize a fast many-hands-make-light-work cleanup.  It is good to be able to contribute positive things to my community in a way that makes it better for all of us.

There were three people at our table tonight with three months of sobriety or less.  It was their first sober social event.  It is really important for all alcoholics, especially so for the newly sober ones, to have a safe recovery oriented social event to participate in during the holiday season.

I am grateful for my sobriety, gratitude, Gratitude Dinners, friends and “family” in recovery and delicious holiday food.