Tuesday, March 9, 2010

Thanks for Letting Me Share

When I attended NA meetings with my daughter, the speaker always ended by saying, “Thanks for letting me share.”

I loved this, and was disappointed when I returned home and started attending Al-Anon meetings. Here, the tradition is simply to “pass.” It just didn’t have the same feeling.

For a while, I concluded my shares with, “Thanks for letting me share” anyway. Sometimes I still do.

Back then, I meant, “Thanks for letting me get this off my chest.”

Today, I mean, “Thanks for letting me share your lives, thoughts and feelings. Thanks for letting me share your wisdom, courage and love. Most especially, thanks for letting me share in this amazing fellowship that I have come to love and that may have saved my life.”

Thanks for letting me share.

12 comments:

  1. thank you for sharing! and thank you for letting me share in all this wisdom, courage, love and the sharing of our lives, thoughts and feelings too!

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  2. I like that ending, too. Thanks for letting me share, too. I feel like this is a online Al-Anon meeting for me.

    Blessings,
    Tammy

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  3. I like that ending too and use it once in a while. I like your take on it too because that is what I really mean. Gratitude and appreciation for those who speak up, even when it is painful.

    Namaste

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  4. Thanks for letting me listen! I think that sharing what we each have with one another is what makes this all work. "Thanks for letting me share" kind of says all that. Have a good one!

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  5. Wonderful. Thank you.
    Often I hear people thank others for being there either at the beginning of sharing or at the end... but I will admit here that I seldom remember to do it myself. Usually I am so focused on what I'm trying to say that I am not thinking about anything else.

    I have a meeting tonight. I am going to try to remember to say thanks because I feel it but too often do not express it.

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  6. Shen...I can really relate to you. I get so nervous to speak that I almost always forget to thank anyone for anything. But I am so grateful for everyone who comes and that we all get to share this journey together. Kathy thank YOU for the great reminder of all that we have to be grateful in our program. :o)

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  7. We say 'and with that I'll pass.' Sounds like we are relieved to be done!
    Your ending makes more sense. I'll try it out at my meeting. Maybe between us all we can start a new tradition. :)

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  8. I too like to end my turn speaking with "Thanks for letting me share." Usually the response is "Thanks for sharing." I don't take these lightly. It isn't just rote or mindless. It takes courage to speak up at a meeting and it encourages others to share.

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  9. We don't say anything when we're done but some for of "guess that's it..." But after someone is done speaking, I like at our meetings, we say, "Thanks for sharing [name]" after you finish. That way no matter how pitiful or nervous I may have felt with what I said, I know that I am accepted. Guess it would be nice for me to return the favor and express my thanks the other direction too...
    Thanks for sharing :)
    God bless!

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  10. I like thanks for letting me share better than saying PASS.

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  11. what a wonderful observation...
    you've touched on something very precious...
    todd

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  12. And I for one am grateful that you do share

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