for any all who read my first installment thank you. if know ever reads any of this i am driven to get out anyways. i was at one of my AA meetings and sitting next to me was this small young lady who i heard before not alike many others who come to AA facing the difficult consequences of a life of Drinking and or Drug abuse. hers were more devastating than most about six months earlier she found herself in a situation when her boyfriend decided to rob some lady at gun point and she was the getaway driver and since you are still so enmeshed in that destructive lifestyle you don't even consider action and consequences and truthfully if she had responded by turning him in she would have put her life in danger for any of you who have been there you will nod yous head and understand completely. as this meeting progressed she began to share and poured out her heart right there tears pouring out all over. she was currently looking at up to twenty years just for this offense and now there were others and if these other cases did not get a certain resolution they would all but decide this lager case. i have not mentioned but Shawnie had a four year old who became the only thing in a moment of clarity that motivated her to make a decision to change her life when it all but appeared that she had already signed her own death sentence. a brave and very courageous move but as soon as thedust settled it really looked like no matter what it was going to be too little too late, but every day with little hope to draw on she showed up at these AA meetings and stayed sober and held on to the one and a million chance if there was anyway she could have a chance to raise her son that was enough of a motivation to open her eyes and put her best foot forward. as she shared and all that honesty and real transparency was revealed to all that was there i was so moved by her courage under impossible odds and the weight and ramifications that faced her she stood face to face with it all. what saw was this small little girl that knew it was much greater than her stand tall scared and trembling stating with no reason to believe but all she could do was the next right thing. After she was finished she continue to just sob in her seat. after this demonstration of courage and honesty my heart was unbelievable compassionate to her. i am always surprised even though have seen it over and over that every one in the room is not moved by someone when they have had the courage to be so honest and really let us all apart of them self so real and vulnerable. quickly another lady spoke with no acknowledgement or mention of this beautiful vision of true courage as Shawnie continued to sob quietly next to me i decided this moment was far too important to wait for my opportunity to share so reached over to and hugged her and started whispering all thse reassurances in her ear.she began crying again uncontrollably soaking my shirt with her tears she held on to me so tight i am not certain how long i held her but eventually behind me i heard over her sobbing you can let her go now, i heard but i did not let go until i felt it was right. at the time it was just an honest compassionate response to someone that i felt was the right thing to do. it was really the beginning of the most important relationship in my life