I have a wonderful dachshund named Macy. Dachshunds are smart and stubborn dogs whose long bodies make them prone to back problems. Macy had recurrent trouble with her spine, and when she was in pain, it was hard for her to get onto the couch or bed using her short little legs. So I bought her a set of doggy steps …

I used to be someone who would dive into things and give 100 percent, but only until the going got tough or I became bored. Then I’d move on—from jobs, weight-loss programs, even interests. For me to keep coming back to OA is testimony of the power of this program. I keep coming back because: OA works long-term when nothing …

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My name is Lucy. I am a pug. I want to tell how my brother Joey, my sister MP, and I all helped with our Mom’s recovery. In 2009, our Mom was very sad. She was eating a lot. Nothing would help. She even took trips and had holidays but was still very sad. We decided to help. On our Mom’s …

Dear Mr. Merriam, dear Mr. Webster, I write to you as a humble requester. I propose a new spelling of a certain word; The change would be seen but would not be heard. The word in question is now spelled “serenity.” I suggest changing it instead to “surrenity.” If one “surrenders” using “humility,” One can achieve a sense of tranquility: …

When something is eating away at me, I can discuss it with program friends. When there’s too much on my plate, and I’ve bitten off more than I can chew, I can ask my Higher Power to help me prioritize. When I want to have my cake and eat it too, I can remember it’s all in God’s hands. When …

In my recovery, I had problems trying to understand the OA program. It was simple, and that was the problem. I was baffled by its simplicity. I also practice tai chi and enjoy the challenge of learning new moves, but what I find is this: The easy moves are hard and the hard moves are easy. Standing at my front …

When I was young, learning to ride a bicycle seemed like a monumental task—exciting, but difficult to learn. I wanted to do what the other children could. Riding a bicycle looked like fun, and I wanted to have fun. My mom held my seat and ran behind me while I pedaled. When I wasn’t looking, she let go. The scariest …

“Just put down the food and you’ll recover”—that simply didn’t make sense to me. If I could just do that, I wouldn’t be in OA. I had successfully put down the food before—many times before—but eventually would pick it up again, eating excessively. Food was my enemy and my best friend. Why couldn’t I eat moderately? Why was I so …

I was a great believer in whatever the next diet, philosophy, or trick was. You see, I knew there was a solution. Desperate, bingeing, swearing off, gaining weight, once-in-a-blue-moon losing weight through unhealthy restricting, and begging God to help me, eventually I found my way to OA. I was in another Twelve Step program, so I knew asking for help …