Lives are put together again and whole worlds fall into place

A schoolboy had torn a map of the world into pieces. The teacher was very angry with him. Jonnie was a very disruptive pupil, and she’d had a belly-full of him by now.

“Here” she said handing him some sellotape and glue “go and stand in the corner over there and stick the map together again!”

She knew he’d be there for hours, as he’d made a right mess of the map. In the meantime, however, she could at least get on with teaching the rest of the class.

She’d been at it about five minutes when Jonnie returned – and he’d put the map together again. She was astounded.

“Well, how on earth did you manage to put the map of the world together again, Jonnie?” she asked.

“Well, you see Miss” said Jonnie, “there was a picture of a man on the back, and when I put the man together again, the world just fell into place.”

That’s what happens in recovery – lives are put together again and whole worlds fall into place.

Being the sellotape and the glue that facilitate that miracle is our responsibility, though – the ones who’ve been in recovery a few years and who’ve learnt to confront the burden of being human. And the benefits to us of doing that? Well, as evidence suggests: 'Helping helps the helper' - and is the surest way possible of staying sober.