Celebrating Service

“Service is the rent we pay for being. It is the very purpose of life, and not something you do in your spare time” – Marian Wright Edelman

In 12-Step literature, selfishness is considered one of the biggest barriers to sobriety. On the surface, this seems a bit confusing. Often recovering persons are told to work in a ‘selfish’ program, to give great care and concern to rebuilding their careers and families, and to focus primarily on rebuilding their health and reputation.

These are all wonderful things to strive for, but there is one problem: the more obsessed one is with themselves and where they want to be, the less they focus on recovery. Time and time again, I have people achieve sobriety in treatment because they are ‘all in’ on their recovery, only to find six weeks later that they are ‘all in’ on a job prospect or a new relationship. Once an individual shifts the primary focus away from recovery, distractions set in and threaten to derail it.

One thing Simon House prides itself on is the opportunities for service it gives clients. During 2020-21, at the height of pandemic restrictions, it was disheartening to see that clients were unable to engage in service at the same level they had in previous years. Luckily, the summer of 2022 has been a banner year for Simon House clients to give back to their community. The men are proud of the work they can do, which provides them a sense of belonging and usefulness. Whether acting as parade marshals, setting up for community events, or tending to the grounds at the Bowness Seniors’ Centre, the clients at Simon House have consistently taken pride in their amazing service work this past summer.

Service is the antidote to selfishness. It provides those in recovery with a purpose and a positive distraction from the constant thoughts of guilt, insecurity, and anxiety about the future. Simon House provides the framework for service that can grow and be strengthened by a 12-Step fellowship, volunteer work, and being of service to friends and family.

Kevin S.

— Manager of Clinical Services