lifeline Literature Some Sadness By kmcguire@oa.org Posted on November 1, 2020 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 I am sitting at home on a beautiful, sunny day, yet I’m feeling a little sadness in my heart as I write my farewell message to Lifeline magazine. I’ve been a subscriber for most of my thirty-six years in program. I still have some of the older copies, but I will admit the look and graphics used in recent years has been a vast improvement. One facet that has been consistent and kept me renewing my subscription has been the wonderful articles with pearls of wisdom that I have gleaned from every issue. I thank the many OA members who took the time to write. Your service was always a boost to my own recovery and abstinence. I will say I was disappointed when Ask-It Basket was removed for a time, and I was later overjoyed when I saw it reinstated. I’ve learned so much over the years from the questions raised and the responses it provided. The Ask-It Basket from the July 2020 issue (“Diversity and Disability”) made me sad when I read about the lack of compassion experienced by a new member who had a hearing disability. But I was bolstered by the knowledge that my home group would have dealt with the situation much differently. The experience and raw feelings shared in the article also reinforced my belief that every member should be guided by the OA Responsibility Pledge: “Always to extend the hand and heart of OA to all who share my compulsion; for this I am responsible.” In closing, while I understand the financial basis for discontinuing Lifeline (and wish more members had recognized its value), I will definitely miss it. — Lee R., Massachusetts USA
