Question:
On Sun, 29 Dec 2002 19:08:46 GMT, "Owly" <o…@email.com> wrote: >Happy Birthday Pete. I hope that this birthday and future birthdays will >help you to feel better about this day and maybe even buffer some of your >sad memories with happy ones. >owly
As long as you are with me to encourage me, how could I not have happy memories – just hate having to share brain space with those memories that aren’t happy. Pete
Response:
Hi Pete, The holidays are almost over. I hope January is easier at work >Been a long >time since I was at an AA meeting – last drink was in 1989 (same year >and time frame as my first divorce and the loss of a federal job due >to downsizing – aka reduction in force). Giving up drinking at that >point was probably the best thing for me or else I’d not be here >today.
Congratulations on 14(?) years sobiety. For me it’s been almost twelve years. I do know it’s something of a miracle. AA has taught me a lot. MY OA sponsor suggested to me recently that I might find a stronger personal program of recovery if I work in another AA meeting instead of another OA mtg. So I’m going to do that. Still feel like a baby in the program — probably always will. That’s OK. Knowing I know very little keeps me coming back which I need for my emotional sobriety. >The birthday was pretty good. Wasn’t looking for any gifts but the >wife got me a very nice eagle ring in 10 K gold and a pair of nice >warm slippers (so now when I’m in jammie mode my fet will be warm >lol).
Sounds like you have a nice wife. I’m lucky too. My husband is a great guy. Take care! Happy New Year! Anne
Response:
On 29 Dec 2002 14:21:55 GMT, annek…@aol.com (Anneks89) wrote: >Happy Birthday, Pete!
Thank you Anne >Congratulations on what some of my friends call "Playing With a Full Deck" >(turning 52).
Don’t think anyone would ever confuse me with ‘playing with a full deck’ – especially those who are privy to some of my screw ups (like handcuffing myself to a tree when I was a cop – don’t ask – I still don’t know why I did that). >Sorry about your Mom, about the memories and the complications attached to your >birthday memories.. I get that way about some of my brithdays…not all of >them, though.
She never got to see my second son and only knew my first son for less than a month while I was in between military base changes. > Any anniversary of trauma or stress has me hoping for time to >retreat >and I find that taking that time can be helpful. Larry calls it "Puting Out >The Cushions". >A few weeks ago you helped me to remember that the best slogan for me is "Keep >It Simple". Thanks for that, Pete. I hope that you will be able to somehow >keep things simple today.
Keeping It Simple is the best way to go – the way AA says it is KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid) which to me is an insult and degrading to consider oneself stupid but I didn’t make the slogans. (Been a long time since I was at an AA meeting – last drink was in 1989 (same year and time frame as my first divorce and the loss of a federal job due to downsizing – aka reduction in force). Giving up drinking at that point was probably the best thing for me or else I’d not be here today. >Wishing you peace, today on your birthday, and always. >Anne
The birthday was pretty good. Wasn’t looking for any gifts but the wife got me a very nice eagle ring in 10 K gold and a pair of nice warm slippers (so now when I’m in jammie mode my fet will be warm lol). Thanks again Anne for the good wishes for my birthday. Pete
Response:
On Sun, 29 Dec 2002 14:23:07 GMT, "Nancy" <ki…@coxinvalid.net> wrote: >HI Pete! >> So I have mixed feelings on this day. I hope everyone else has a >> great day. >Anniversaries of traumas, both primary and secondary, always seem to suck. >It is too bad that a lot of us have them around the Christmas season, too. >Makes for ‘double trouble’. :/ >Congratulations on rising to the level of mixed feelings. 
Though I’m down about some things I have to be thankful for the wonderful woman who is now my wife and partner. I have to be thankful too for her daughter who is a great kid. Glad I have a job to go to work to. So there are mixed emotions on this day but I will get through it and tomorrow will be yet another day. What tomorrow brings I won’t know til then. >I am having the most relaxing time for this season since 1968, thank you! >Smile and there will be something to smile about!
Smile and others will wonder what you are up to :-) Pete – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text ->Nancy
Response:
still have the New Years rush on the sodas, juices, snacks, etc to contend with. Hanging in there though. Mixed emotions today. Today I turned 52. I’ve lost close to 30 pounds (between working my butt off – er belly off – at work and a diet I was on for a week). Good to be ‘alive’ – maybe not in the best of health (had a pain in my chest last week after a hard night at work) but alive just the same. Guess I should be pretty happy but my birthday always reminds me of my dear Mother who passed away back in 1974. I was in England on this day in 1973 and I phoned her – giving her a chance to wish me a happy birthday and catch up on some things. She did, of course, wish me a happy birthday and let me know she had had a gall bladder operation and was recouperating just fine. On January 4th, 1974, I received word from the American Red Cross via my Commanding Officer that she had passed away and arrangements were being made to get me back home for the funeral. I was shocked. I had just talked to her only about a week previously. I just couldn’t believe what I was reading from the Red Cross and what my Commanding Officer was telling me. I took leave and went home on a standby flight (coincidently my wife and son had arrive in England just a few days prior to my departing for the USA – leaving my wife and son to fend for themselves in a foreign country – I lived off base in the community. Anyway,though I loved my Mother dearly, once home I ‘never shed a tear’ even at the funeral parlor or the grave site. (Probably part of the PTSD). This day also reminds me of my first marriage that went sour. The answer to my wife’s request for ‘what do you want for your birthday’ did not help the struggling marriage (beware what one asks for – one might just get it – and regret it). So I have mixed feelings on this day. I hope everyone else has a great day. Pete
Response:
Happy Birthday, Pete! Congratulations on what some of my friends call "Playing With a Full Deck" (turning 52). Sorry about your Mom, about the memories and the complications attached to your birthday memories.. I get that way about some of my brithdays…not all of them, though. Any anniversary of trauma or stress has me hoping for time to retreat and I find that taking that time can be helpful. Larry calls it "Puting Out The Cushions". A few weeks ago you helped me to remember that the best slogan for me is "Keep It Simple". Thanks for that, Pete. I hope that you will be able to somehow keep things simple today. Wishing you peace, today on your birthday, and always. Anne
Response:
HI Pete! > So I have mixed feelings on this day. I hope everyone else has a > great day.
Anniversaries of traumas, both primary and secondary, always seem to suck. It is too bad that a lot of us have them around the Christmas season, too. Makes for ‘double trouble’. :/ Congratulations on rising to the level of mixed feelings. I am having the most relaxing time for this season since 1968, thank you! Smile and there will be something to smile about! Nancy
Response:
Happy Birthday Pete. I hope that this birthday and future birthdays will help you to feel better about this day and maybe even buffer some of your sad memories with happy ones. owly "Pete" <coinshoo…@attbi.com> wrote in message
news:5lst0v4pcasnjbghou4ebstqkg8cseobhn@4ax.com… – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> still have the New Years rush on the sodas, juices, snacks, etc to > contend with. Hanging in there though. Mixed emotions today. Today I > turned 52. I’ve lost close to 30 pounds (between working my butt off – > er belly off – at work and a diet I was on for a week). Good to be > ‘alive’ – maybe not in the best of health (had a pain in my chest last > week after a hard night at work) but alive just the same. > Guess I should be pretty happy but my birthday always reminds me of > my dear Mother who passed away back in 1974. I was in England on this > day in 1973 and I phoned her – giving her a chance to wish me a happy > birthday and catch up on some things. She did, of course, wish me a > happy birthday and let me know she had had a gall bladder operation > and was recouperating just fine. On January 4th, 1974, I received word > from the American Red Cross via my Commanding Officer that she had > passed away and arrangements were being made to get me back home for > the funeral. I was shocked. I had just talked to her only about a week > previously. I just couldn’t believe what I was reading from the Red > Cross and what my Commanding Officer was telling me. I took leave and > went home on a standby flight (coincidently my wife and son had > arrive in England just a few days prior to my departing for the USA – > leaving my wife and son to fend for themselves in a foreign country – > I lived off base in the community. Anyway,though I loved my Mother > dearly, once home I ‘never shed a tear’ even at the funeral parlor or > the grave site. (Probably part of the PTSD). > This day also reminds me of my first marriage that went sour. The > answer to my wife’s request for ‘what do you want for your birthday’ > did not help the struggling marriage (beware what one asks for – one > might just get it – and regret it). > So I have mixed feelings on this day. I hope everyone else has a > great day. > Pete
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