Once you have crossed the river, leave the raft behind.

– The Buddha

 

As I was growing up, and later as I struggled to survive in an alcoholic relationship, I learned coping skills. While those skills might have helped in the past, they are now at the root of many of my character defects. As I continue to grow in recovery, I must leave these old skills behind. This is sometimes a scary thing to do. Despite the problems they cause me, they are comfortable and comforting, something I can turn to in times of stress. But I have found that my higher power does not leave me bereft and alone. Instead, new, healthier skills develop to take the place of the old, discarded ones. Moving forward in this way is not always comfortable, but I now can have faith that the destination will be a better, happier, more serene place for me, and for those I love. And I know that if I encounter a new river to cross, that I can build a new raft with the tools I am learning in recovery.

A meditation for February 18, 2013.