Tonight, as Americans await election results, I’m reminded of a profound truth we learn in recovery rooms: our differences dissolve when we focus on what binds us together. Whether in small church basements or community centers (or in the Great Outdoors), people from all walks of life share their stories – stories that, despite their unique details, ring with familiar themes of struggle, hope, and resilience.
The Universal Language of Recovery
Recovery teaches us that no matter our background, we share fundamental desires: to be heard, to be understood, to build better lives for ourselves and our families, and to leave a positive mark on the world. These aren’t Republican or Democratic aspirations – they’re human ones.
Listening Without Judgment
In our recovery meetings, we practice something remarkable: we listen without judgment. We get curious about each other’s journeys. We discover that the person across the room, whose life may look nothing like our own, carries the same hopes and fears we do. This is the wisdom we need tonight and in the days ahead.
Moving Forward Together
As election results unfold, let’s remember what recovery has taught us – that community heals, that isolation divides, and that we’re far stronger together than apart. Let’s choose to listen more than we speak, to seek understanding rather than victory, and to remember that behind every political position stands a person with dreams not so different from our own.
Building on Common Ground
Our shared humanity runs deeper than any ballot box. Tonight, let’s commit to lifting each other up, just as we do in recovery, knowing that our common ground is far greater than our differences.
