Not sure how much more I’m going to be posting on here in the next few days. Diagnosed with Covid-19 with many symptoms. Going into quarantine tomorrow, they call it project room key here in California. Please keep me in your thoughts and prayers my friends. 
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Oh my gosh Ed.
Thanks for letting us know.
I will be praying for you my friend. California is scaring the shit out of me with the COVID news. God will get you through this too.
Blessings my friend.
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I am thinking of you, Edmund. Please get better fast. Keep us updated if you have the energy. Sending healing and love your way. 
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Feel better soon friend, stay strong!
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Sorry to hear that, Ed. I hope you feel better soon. 
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Oh shit! Sorry to hear that big Ed. Please take good care of yourself and I’ll keep you in my thoughts and prayers. 
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prayers and thoughts my friend. 
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In my thoughts Big Ed. Hoping for a swift recovery friend.
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In my prayers Ed. God bless you and keep you.
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In my thoughts and prayers! 
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December 24th
"The ability to laugh at ourselves is an intrinsic part of the healing process."
“People Make the Program,” Marcy, New York, December 1992, The Home Group: Heartbeat of AA
Without question, one of the main attractions I had to the program was the laughter. I love AA’s twisted humor, primarily because I can relate so much to our ridiculousness. Laughter is the sound of recovery, and the healing music of our program. Being able to laugh at ourselves allows us to process old wounds in a light hearted way. For me, self deprecating humor about my past was the best way to “get over myself.” We AA’s can take ourselves way too seriously at times, overthink things, and blow things way out of proportion. Laughter is an avenue to right size issues. I can’t count how many times I’ve shared something at a meeting that troubled me that you ended up laughing at. Once you laugh, I can’t help but join along and then see how I built something up in my mind to be bigger than it really was. There are so many things that I reluctantly shared in my 4th step inventory that I can now share openly at meetings. Why? Because you taught me to not take myself so damn seriously (Rule 62), and to heal through laughter. There is a Yiddish proverb that says, “What soap is to the body, laughter is to the soul." Having spent so many years laughing with you, I now firmly believe it is intrinsically in our nature to smile and have fun. In every person, there is an inner child that just wants to laugh and play. They say we are not fully dressed without a smile, but the same could be said that we have not had a complete and fulfilling day without laughter. When it comes to recovery, he who laughs, lasts.
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I love this post Big Ed. When I started going to meetings, I would say to myself… “why are these people laughing and having fun? Don’t they know addiction is serious shit and my life is upside at the moment?” Now I’m right there with them, laughing and enjoying life. Laughter is the best medicine.
Hope you’re feeling better. Hang in there my friend. 
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Feeling much better. Wasn’t sure if I was going to make it or not. I was incredibly sick. But the good Lord has other plans for me because A doctor friend of mine showed up out of the blue with a bottle of Hydroxychloroquine. It has been a game changer. This is my third day taking it and I’m starting to feel halfway normal again. not out of the woods yet but I’ll definitely turn the corner. This was all possible because the program of Alcoholics Anonymous. Word of mouth and good friends. Thank you @Lisa07 for being there for me and your prayers.
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I’m happy to hear you’re doing a little better. Thank God you were able to get the Hydroxychloroquine. It’s in such short supply in my area. Not only a game changer, it’s a life saver. Please keep taking good care of yourself and get lots and lots of rest. Sending you love and strength while keeping you in my prayers. 
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So glad to hear you’re doing better! TS wouldn’t be the same without you.
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rule 62 my friend, rule 62. 
. Hope your well mate
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The last thing god needs is
recovering alcoholics, far to righteous.
December 26th
Set others free to achieve and experience the path that leads to their highest good and you, too, will become free to find yours. --Melody Beattie
Thankfully, our program teaches us to have constant thought of others and to be of maximum service to all of God’s children. By helping others, we not only maintain our recovery, we find ourselves and contentment in life. You hear it all the time – you can’t keep it unless you give it away. A candle loses nothing by lighting another candle, but not lighting any candles will surely keep us in darkness. For me, my day is not complete without having given myself to others. We have all tried the hollow and lonely existence of selfishness, and after the inevitable subsequent misery, I’m always brought back to that place of peace produced by helping others. Sponsoring has also been a huge learning experience about the pitfalls of trying to help, not control others. As much as I have tried, I can’t work 24 steps (mine and yours!). Over time, I have come to a clear understanding that each person has their own path and journey, and it’s not up to me to control anyone else’s travel through life. We all need to learn from our own mistakes, and generally speaking, those tend to be the most meaningful life lessons. I am so grateful that people in my life gave me the dignity to find my own truths, pain and all. Through this loving experience of supporting each other, we have found real and profound friendships as well as lasting peace. I love the saying, “Show me your friends, and I’ll show you your future.” How true! There was an old timer who stated it best when he said, “Look back and be grateful, look ahead and be hopeful, look around and be helpful.” Merry Christmas and may you find gratitude, hope, and many opportunities to express love towards another.
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December 28th
"Love is always bestowed as a gift – freely, willingly, and without expectation … We don’t love to be loved; we love to love."
–Leo Buscaglia–
Before the program, I had a twisted perception of love. For me at that time, love was more of a sick dependency. What I thought was love was really clinging to someone else to cover up my lack of self-worth. I hated whom I was, so it was impossible to truly love another when filled with self-loathing. After diving head first into recovery and building myself up from ground zero, I was able to shed much of life’s baggage, and in so doing, gain a bit of self esteem. From self esteem, we can begin the process of loving ourselves, which is essential to being able to truly love another. The program has graced me with the ability to love unconditionally. Love should never be a conditional emotion. You taught me to embrace a life of altruism, which I now see as essential to my recovery. The act of giving becomes the gift, just as the act of loving another blesses us with the gift of loving. If we love another to expect love in return, we are selling ourselves short. Reciprocal love is usually the byproduct of loving another, but that’s a shallow expectation that will eventually let us down. If we settle into loving another for the sake of loving, we open our hearts to endless opportunities and lasting emotions of contentment. A game changer for me was to give 100% of myself to others and expect nothing in return. When I did this and stopped keeping score in life, my entire perspective on relationships with others changed. Most importantly, I liked whom I’d become, and I came to appreciate and thoroughly enjoy being kind and loving.
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This has been huge for me in recovery. I went from a selfish using bitch in active addiction to a giving caring person in sobriety. What a great feeling it is.
Btw…how are you feeling Big Ed?
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