Love and Tolerance

Tolerance, especially of others, was never really my strong suit and I would automatically shift right into judgment and condemnation. Even when I came into recovery I continued to struggle with the whole tolerance concept. It was Dr. Bob who said, "love and tolerance are our code", but it still didn't resonate with me until someone told me that the reason I have to tolerate others is because they can't tolerate themselves. That I got. I spent a lot of years not being able to tolerate myself, and when I see people acting out, I now feel compassion for their plight. I get that whatever they are dealing with is intolerable to them, which in turn makes them act out in ways that can be intolerable to others.

I'm grateful for all those members who loved me until I could love myself, and who tolerated me until I could tolerate myself.