Detachment

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DETACHMENT

Most of us had to hit a "bottom," a point of personal agony, before we were
ready to make real changes in our lives. Alcoholics and others suffering
from the effects of this family disease deserve the same chance to hit a
"bottom" of their own. Along the way, there may be many awful, painful
lessons for them to learn, and it can be excruciating to have to stand by
and watch a loved one suffer through those experiences. Some never learn at
all. But we are powerless over alcoholism. We cannot hasten the process,
nor can we spare a loved one from it. All we can do is to serve as an
example of the joy and serenity that recovery can provide, and respect the
rights of our loved ones to make the choices they need to make, even if we
despise the nature of those choices.

How Al-Anon Works, page 33, paragraph 1, lines 6-18