Gratitude is a grand and wonderful thing; I love the way it feels and the effect it has on the people around me. I find it easy to practice gratitude when all is well and things are going my way. The challenge comes when all is not well and things aren’t going my way. Lately, that has been my story. In addition to my husband’s unemployment and other smaller inconveniences, I have been experiencing some severe physical pain, and there is nothing like pain to capture my attention. Pain is not unlike a two-year old (or this food addict before

“Call people I don’t know on the telephone? What will I ever talk about?” These questions rumbled through my mind when my first sponsor in 1988 told me to make three phone calls a day. At 210 pounds, I desperately wanted to be free of the discomfort and emotional pain. I was carrying over eighty pounds too much on my 5’4,” forty-three year-old frame. I felt miserable! I willingly did whatever that wonderful lady told me to do. I checked off each tool every day as I accomplished it to make sure I covered all my bases. The tool of

I love skiing and traveling. Before being saved by FA, I skied all the day long, overeating at lunch, and crashing after a hard day of skiing and snacking. (I still find extra goodies in my ski jacket pockets from the years of “just in case I get hungry” thoughts that encouraged me to save treats or buy extras.) I also traveled to exotic places in various parts of the world. When I came into FA, I was not sure how I could continue to travel and ski once I began working the program the way I do. I have