The Right Thing to Do

One of the earliest amends I made was with a young woman I treated shabbily during our (justifiably short) relationship. Let’s call her Jane Doe. When I wrote my Eighth Step list, I called her up and she invited me over to her place, which was a considerable distance from where I was living at the time. I had no car and no driver’s license. An AA friend drove me to her apartment, where I was received warmly. When I was done saying what I needed to say, Jane responded, in essence, “It’s water over the dam, Paul. Don’t worry about it. I’m glad you’re sober.” Then she offered to make me lunch, which I accepted gratefully while my friend waited patiently in his car. I was walking on air when I left her apartment.