AMENDS: A JOURNEY TO CONSOLATION
Today I want to blog about Making Amends (Step 9 from The Twelve Steps of ACA). It is said when it comes to making amends, that opportunities often will present themselves on their own.
On that note, the opportunity to make an amends to my mother came last week while I was watching a movie called, "9/11: Four Flights." The movie, as described by The History Chanel, "recounts the celebrated and the little-known stories of the passengers, crew, family members, military officers, and air traffic controllers who experienced the day—each more moving and impactful than the last."
It was while watching about the fourth flight that I finally let 9/11 in—which led me to making an amends to my mother by way of a short email. The miracle of amends happened when I realized the email is what I would have wanted to say to my mother if I'd been on 9/11's fourth flight.
The only thing I would have added is, "I love you."
Here's the email:
Happy Sunday mom: Just a short note to say I'm thinking of you today. I checked in with aunt Barb a few weeks ago, she sounds good. Something tells me it might be a good time to tell you, that given a choice, I wouldn't have chosen Aunt Barb instead of you as my mother. Have a good week, take care.
A few days after sending the email, I told my therapist it would have been my last-phone-call to my mother if I'd been on that 9/11 fourth flight.
The tears came, I let 9/11 in (and so much more).
Lastly, I want to close by sharing a link for today's Daily TV Mass: A mass celebrating The Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows. It seems right for this post. A celebration of Our Lady of Sorrows and making an amends to my mother.
https://dailytvmass.com/mass/
Title Credit: The title of this post, it comes from the ACA Big Red Book for Adult Children of Alcoholics and Dysfunctional Families: Amends as a Journey to Consolation (2006, p241).
