“We approach and make ourselves accessible to newcomers before and after meetings and during breaks.”

– Life with Hope, second edition, page 64

In recovery, I have the opportunity to develop deep and lasting relationships with other people in the fellowship. Particularly in my home group I know the characters quite well, and can experience excitement at the familiar sight of them as I walk into the meeting room. However, it is always important to keep an eye out for unfamiliar faces and be ready to welcome new people, especially those who are new to recovery.

The Fifth Tradition of MA speaks directly to this principle, reminding me of my primary purpose to carry the message to the marijuana addict who still suffers. Meetings are often sprinkled with reminders to “keep coming back.” I can encourage newcomers to keep coming back in many different ways. These can include briefly introducing myself personally before or after a meeting. It can include the ways in which I choose to share my stories, by being a living example of how a person can recover from the obsession of marijuana addiction by practicing spiritual principles with a mindset of progress not perfection. It can include sharing my phone number and following up with a call or text.

There is no minimum period of sobriety to make myself available to a newcomer. Those at every stage of recovery have something to offer. My existing friendships with others in recovery is important, but I must remain guarded against appearing as a member of an exclusive clique to newcomers.

Final thought: Today, I will think about a small step I can take to welcome a newcomer to MA.