Love is something you can leave behind when you die. It’s that powerful.
John (Fire) Lame Deer Lakota Sioux
Words of truth and love are strong medicine. Tall Man die five
years ago, a sober, peaceful, happy man. Maine Newsletter (Boomerang)
say: "With tireless devotion and humility, this venerable Indian
gentleman traveled thousands of miles humbly pleading for sobriety. He
planted many seeds, and it will be many moons before another rises to
walk in his shoes."
Big Book Third Edition pg. 476
It was December 13, 1953. The occasion was the first anniversary
of the opening of Rosary Hall, the newly remodeled alcoholic ward at
Cleveland's famed St. Vincent's Charity Hospital. It had been a great
AA meeting. The small auditorium was crammed with alcoholics and their
friends. So was the balcony. One thousand people rose to their feet,
clapping wildly.
The slight figure of a nun in a gray habit reluctantly approached the
lectern's microphone. The uproar redoubled, then suddenly subsided as
the little nun commenced to give her thanks. She was embarrassed, too.
For had not the program she'd helped write for the occasion definitely
stated that "The Sisters of Charity and the members of Alcoholics
Anonymous who have assisted, decline all individual credit...."
Through Sister Ignatia and Bob, God had wrought a divine conspiracy of
medicine, religion, and Alcoholics Anonymous which was to bring
sobriety within reach of more than 5,000 alcoholics who were to pass
through the alcoholic ward of St. Thomas up to the time of Dr. Bob's
death in 1950. But when that first customer was shaking it out in the
flower room way back there in 1939, the trustees of the hospital little
guessed that St. Thomas had become the first religious institution ever
to open its doors to AA...
"Language of the Heart" pg. 202
Great Mystery give us something we can leave behind.