Abstinence Half a World Away By admin Posted on March 10, 2016 3 min read 0 Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Google+ Share on Reddit Share on Pinterest Share on Linkedin Share on Tumblr When I lived in Lithuania, which had no OA groups at the time, staying connected to my OA group in Montana helped me maintain my program and continue to lose weight. My OA group in Montana is small, and the members live in different communities. We have limited access to sponsors, so we use group emails to help us maintain our programs. When I was overseas, group members shared their experience, strength, and hope with me, and I shared my journey in Lithuania. I was living nine time zones away from my group, but I felt loved, supported, and connected. Before I left Montana, my group pledged to hold my hand in theirs. The reality of that pledge was made clear to me after I decided to return to Montana for the holidays. My trip home delighted my children and friends, but it left my work colleagues in Lithuania feeling disappointed and let down. After returning to Lithuania, I felt a turmoil of torn feelings and purposely broke a three-year abstinence from sugar. It shocked me how easily I could fall into a relapse. I immediately sent an SOS email to my OA group back home. The emails came flying back with words of wisdom and encouragement. Between the lines, I read that they loved and cared about me. Half a world away, the power of love and caring lifted me in a truly spiritual way. I got back on track and was able to say no to sugar once again. With the help of my OA sisters, I don’t have to take one more compulsive bite or gain back the 25 pounds (11 kg) I have lost. — Maxine