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October 1989

PO Box 1980

Sober strength

Thank you for printing "Only Love Has Meaning" in the June issue. The author wrote about learning she has HIV infection, and about facing painful, complicated feelings for which there are no answers. It took courage to write about a dark experience in sobriety for which the program cannot offer solutions, and to write with neither bitterness nor false optimism. The author's simple candor in stating her reluctance to share openly in meetings about her condition was particularly moving. She described the conflict of trying to avoid discussion, in meetings, of non-alcoholism-related matters, and at the same time of not wanting to hold back, to "keep secrets," It is a real dilemma. My own term of sobriety in AA has taught me that honesty cannot always be vocal; that there are things it is preferable--out of respect for my own or others' feelings, out of sober awareness of consequences--not to share in meetings. This has been a difficult truth to learn and accept. The author's anonymous article was an act of sober strength. She shared in the way she could. She shared honestly and without reserve. Her words were an awe-inspiring example of sobriety and of AA principles. I thank her for her courage.

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