The Boy Grew up

OUR little group consists of only eight members, but when I entered the meeting room that night of my AA birthday, there were sixty or seventy people. I was overwhelmed by the kindness and friendship of these people, who had come from several towns for miles around, to share my AA birthday with me. My humility that night was very deep. I wanted them to know how grateful I was, but I am not very good at expressing my feelings in words and . . . well, each time I tried, a blame lump kept crawling up in my throat and, realizing what a ridiculous spectacle I--a big, six-foot man--would make standing there blubbering, I gave up and just hoped they would understand.