“We are sure God wants us to be happy, joyous, and free.” — Alcoholics Anonymous (1939) · Chapter 9 · The Family Afterward
From Chapter 9 of the 1939 first edition — the chapter on what recovery looks like at home.
File this under sentences nobody expects in a book about alcoholism. Not “sober, vigilant, and careful” — happy, joyous, and free. The founders planted a flag here against the idea that recovery is a gray sentence to be served. If your program is making you grim, that’s worth bringing to a sponsor: grimness is not humility, and joylessness is not insurance. The bar was set in 1939. It’s high on purpose.
Joy