Today, Avalon is featuring another Woman of Avalon in our Recovery Month series.  We hope you enjoy learning a little more about Linda, another inspirational woman who is part of our community.  May her words bring you strength and comfort through your recovery journey.

Meet Linda

Linda is a woman in her 70s, with an incredible 48 years of sobriety! When she looks back on that time, she feels deep gratitude for her recovery. As she says, “My life would have been decidedly worse and probably much shorter if I had not stopped drinking at 26.” Because of her sobriety, Linda has been able to receive the benefits of education, a professional career, and participation in various organizations.

Experience in Alcoholics Anonymous

Linda credits her “Higher Power” and her involvement in the Alcoholics Anonymous program for her recovery. Once she was able to recognize that she had a problem, she never felt the need to experiment further. Linda says the relief, connection with others, and the chance to serve the fellowship have been the greatest rewards. “They are there for everyone who wants them,” says Linda. Her continued sobriety is also attributed to sponsoring others, being of service, and listening to others’ stories.

Effects of COVID

As the pandemic hit British Columbia, Avalon transitioned our recovery meetings, programs, counselling and other services online. This led to a period of transition for both the organization and for the women who use our services, as we navigated the experience of conducting programming digitally. One of the benefits that we felt resulted from this switch was that meetings were now more accessible to women who lived geographically distant from one of Avalon’s Women’s Centres.

Linda echoes this sentiment, sharing that the move to Zoom has been a major gift to her because it allows her to attend meetings all over the world, despite being shut in, with physical challenges. Linda can stay positive through her sobriety by allowing others to see her exactly as she is and listening to their experiences that are filled with strength and hope. She says that daily meetings and chats with other members help her a lot.

Time with Avalon

Linda has been coming to Avalon for about three months and says she really appreciates the warmth, honesty, and respect she has experienced here, even by Zoom. In her words,

“For any woman seeking help with addiction of any sort, I strongly recommend Avalon as a resource … This is the easier, softer way in my experience. Life can change beyond your wildest dreams! It has for me… one day at a time.”

We would like to thank Linda for sharing her story as part of #RecoveryMonth 2021 with Avalon. It takes a great deal of courage and strength to speak your truth to a larger audience.  We are very appreciative of Linda for sharing her story which we know will inspire others in the recovery community.

If you would like to learn more about Avalon and the services we offer (all free of charge to self-identifying women), click the appropriate link: meeting schedule, events and workshops, FAQ, podcast. Thank you for reading!