At Their Expense

We cannot disclose anything to our wives or our parents which will hurt them and make them unhappy. We have no right to save our own skins at their expense. ~ AA World Services Inc. Alcoholics Anonymous, Fourth Edition, page 74.

The psychological catch phrase of the day was “inferiority complex,” and we used that frequently as the cause of our overeating. In addition, I blamed my mother for many of my problems. ~ Overeaters Anonymous. Beyond Our Wildest Dreams: A History of Overeaters Anonymous as Seen by the Founder. Overeaters Anonymous, Inc.. Kindle Edition.

I blew it once in speculating what happened
then talking loosely about a family member,
if I was right, I was telling a fact the person
had hidden from me for many years.
If I was wrong it was a devastating lie
I told “in confidence” to people
in my 12-Step fellowship. When one challenged me
on what I was doing I was devastated by my guilt.
I had no right to save my own skins at their expense.
I doubt I’ve used the phrase “inferiority complex”
to justify my addiction, but I’ve certainly
used a parent’s weakness to justify my own.
from this point on, I’ll not blame others
for my character defects.
Instead, I’ll become entirely ready
to have  to have God remove all my defects of character
and humbly asked Him to remove my shortcomings!

Image Copyright: Mrgao