I went to Trinity Episcopal Church last Sunday. It was a smaller group than I expected. I was surprised to find the atmosphere so vibrant and lively. At the meeting, everyone introduces themselves with Hi and their name “my name is so-and-so and I’m an alcoholic”. I've seen alcoholics my age. I don't know how well they know each other but everyone was friendly. Most shared their stories with ease, proud of their sobriety and their second chance at life. Others told their stories of tears, struggles, sorrows and defeats. This community, dedicated to the honest acceptance of life's challenges, did not question the motivations or missteps of its members. I spoke to a middle-aged man about his drinking problems. He works at a local restaurant and left school in the first grade to open up about his drinking problems. When he was ten years old, his parents divorced. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay through the difficulties he encountered with his father. He was trying to avoid the stressful life he had lived with his family, so he started drinking alcohol to escape his loneliness and sadness. Also, he would drink to impress his friends at a social gathering. To fill a void, he started looking for a girlfriend on tender. He started chatting with a new friend, a fun, pretty, smart pre-med junior. He was asked if he wanted to meet and smoke and was desperate for company, but he shared the fight with her and met her. He began a week of breaking loose on the university party scene. He is overcome by intense waves of guilt and shame. He felt sad that he had lost this round of his battle. But instead of being sad, he decided to share his story of struggle with the room hoping that they can learn from each other so that they can support each other and have the courage to come together and learn from it so not to repeat the same mistakes. I was shocked to see how strong people showed the strength it took to publicly battle one's demons. It was like being fascinated by vulnerability, resilience and openness. It was rare for me to hear people talk about the depth of their depression, their suicidal thoughts, and even their suicide attempts. However, this seems strange to me. At the end of each story, there was an expression of thanks: “the greatest thing I have received from this meeting is the gift of life.” It felt like a rebirth was happening for everyone in that room. He said he has been sober for 12 years and decides every day not to have the first drink so he doesn't become the man he despises. AA focused on the importance of being spiritually fit and practicing the steps of the program was the signature of the meeting. Alcoholism is considered a neurobiological disease with spiritual healing. This remedy is not something you can swallow and let your body do the rest, unlike antibiotics. It takes physical and psychological endurance to avoid regression. AA life is like riding a mountain bike, so if you're not going up, you're going down. He said he learned a personal lesson. Whatever their size, we celebrate our achievements. Every step taken in the right direction brings you closer to your end goal. If people are quick to judge themselves harshly, they should apply to celebrate their successes. Valuing and welcoming growth deserves to be.