Is my local fellowship safe—both for
the men and women who are in it?

Kathy describes in great detail what has been making her grow relationally for the last 12 years. She talks about her lifelong passion to have healthy relationships and the many answers she has found in SA.

She discloses the difficulties she had as a woman coming to a predominantly male fellowship. Her fears and struggles. But also the things she learned from others and that she started to put into practice. She embraced the fellowship as her new family and has since been taking many subsequent actions.

Am I really treating my fellows as my family of choice? What actions am I taking to have it be a non-perfect, but healthy family?

Am I hanging out with the others after the meetings? Am I involved in the business aspect of SA? Do I participate in the times of fellowship? Am I hanging out with longer sober members, while not neglecting members with less sobriety than myself?

Do I take sober and healthy care of all members—also those of the other sex? Do I truly care for everyone to feel at home in my group?

Is my local group and fellowship safe—both for the men and women who are in it? What do my local group and fellowship do to welcome the female members knocking on its door?

Does my group put the spirit of the “Mixed Meetings” section on pp. 178-179 of the White Book into practice? Does it encourage women to step forward in service on every level?

You may use this topic in a discussion meeting, or send a story of your own recovery journey to essay@sa.org