LITERATURE SPOTLIGHT

  *** CAL SPOTLIGHT*** 

While each member has their “favorite” piece of Conference Approved Literature (CAL), the CAL SPOTLIGHT attempts to showcase one of the many pieces.   Here's how this Area Literature/Forum Coordinator found help from  the selected literature.

July 2022: Hope for Today (HFT)(B-27)

Did you know that Hope for Today was published in 2002? That make this piece of CAL 20 years old! HFT contains daily sharings from Al-Anon's adult children members and comes in regular print, large print and eBook format. 

During most of my Al-Anon recovery, I tended to gravitate to our traditional daily readers, One Day at a Time and Courage to Change. In the years since COVID, I had an opportunity to interact with adult children of alcoholics through Zoom meetings. Gratefully, I gained a greater appreciation for Hope for Today. I never considered myself a child of an alcoholic, however, my father was a very dominating and controlling person. I vividly remember lots of drama in my family, especially during my early school-age years.

I learned to be invisible in order to stay off the radar. That meant trying to do things perfectly so I didn’t draw any attention to myself. As we used HFT at meetings, I was able to relate to topics about “black and white” thinking, perfectionism, reacting to situations that I couldn’t control, denial of my feelings, and more. I learned that I can no longer use my past as an excuse for my present behavior. My father did the best he could with what he knew.

There is no doubt that my family has been affected by the disease of alcoholism, whether it was my parent directly, or their parents, or their parents’ parents. The effects are passed down through the generations in the form of poor coping and survival skills. Al-Anon can break this cycle. Hope for Today is just one of the tools that have helped me achieve personal freedom and happiness.

"Hope for Today" (B-27) can be purchased for $14.00. https://ecomm.al-anon.org/ItemDetail?iProductCode=B27

Hope for Today (B-27)

Paragraph excerpt from the January 1st reading:

"With the help of Al‑Anon, I have begun to create a new life with new attitudes and new definitions. The word “family” takes on the meaning of “Al‑Anon Family Groups,” where I have a new family of choice that helps me in a way my family of origin could not. My new family suggested I find a “home” group. This is where I feel I truly belong. Barring severe illness, I always attend my home group meetings and participate in business meetings, group conscience decisions and service. No one forces me to do these things. I do them because I have chosen to commit myself to that group, that family." 

For a  more detailed excerpt from this book, go to https://al-anon.org/blog/hope-for-today/

To read excerpts from other Al-Anon books, go to https://al-anon.org/blog/category/sample-chapters/

You may explore Al-Anon's Conference Approved Literature (CAL) at the World Service Office (WSO) website and/or order CAL from a Literature Distribution Center (LDC) such as those listed below.

Detroit Metro Literature Distribution Center 

(313) 242-0300 

info@al-anon-semi.org   

Lansing Area (Central Michigan) 

(517) 484-1977 

centralmiafgldc@aol.com   

Oakland Literature Distribution Center 

(248) 706-1020 

info@oaklandafg.org 

https://oaklandafg.org/   

Michigan Thumb Area 

(989) 912-5478 

MIThumbAreaAFG@yahoo.com