Newcomers An Act of Hope By admin Posted on September 1, 2017 2 min read 1 Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Google+ Share on Reddit Share on Pinterest Share on Linkedin Share on Tumblr When I walked into the rooms of Overeaters Anonymous, hope felt like a possibility, a possibility of a better life. I’d been bottling up all my feelings again; my mom had recently passed away and my wife and I had just moved into the South Bay area. Fear, anger, and sadness were churning inside me, and I did what I always did—I ate. So, coming to OA was an act of hope. At one of my very first meetings, I saw a person cry about feeling helpless over food. Hugs were given and feelings were validated. I was awestruck at what I saw: people showing care and concern for people dealing with food issues. Was I on another planet? One of my beliefs was that I lacked willpower, but here, people were saying that compulsive overeating is a disease. “Am I sick?” I wondered. As I came to more meetings and met more people in the Fellowship, I saw tragedies turning into successes. I saw brokenness healed, one day at a time. I saw something there that I wanted in my life. It was in the eyes and faces of people in these rooms. Hope thrives in the rooms of Overeaters Anonymous, and I was given the gift of hope. In OA, I’ve learned: no matter what life hands you today, there is always hope. — Frank C., Lomita, California USA
