Have you ever wished you could lose ten, twenty, forty, or a hundred pounds or more? Have you ever wished once you got it off you could keep it off? Welcome to OA. Have you sometimes felt out of step with the world, like a homeless orphan without a place where you really belonged? Welcome to OA. Have you ever wished your family would get to work or school so you could get busy eating? Welcome to OA.
Have you ever awakened first thing in the morning and felt happy because you remembered your favorite goodie was waiting for you in the fridge or in the cupboard? Welcome to OA. Have you ever looked up at the stars and wondered what an insignificant person like you was doing in the world anyway? Welcome to OA. Have you ever cooked, bought, or baked for your family and then eaten everything yourself so you wouldn't have to share? Welcome to OA.
Have you ever wanted to hide in the house, without going to work, without getting dressed, without seeing anyone or letting anyone see you? Welcome to OA. Have you ever hidden food under the bed, under the pillow, in a drawer, in the bathroom, in the waste basket, the cubbord, the clothes hamper, the closet or the car so you could eat without anyone seeing you? Welcome to OA.
Have you ever been angry, resentful, defiant.......against God, your spouse, your Doctor, your Father, your Mother, your friends, your children, the salesperson in the store whose look spoke a thousand words as you tried on clothes.....because they were thin, because they wanted you to be thin, and you were forced to diet to please them or shut them up or make them eat their words and their looks? Welcome to OA. Have you ever sobbed out in misery in the dark night because no one loved or understood you? Welcome to OA.
Have you ever felt that God (if He existed at all) made his biggest mistake when he created you? Can you see this is where such feelings get turned around? Welcome to OA. Have you ever wanted to get on a bus and just keep going, without ever once looking back? Did you do it? Welcome to OA. Have you ever thought the whole world is a mess and if they would just think and act like you, the world would be a lot better off? Welcome to OA.
Have you ever thought OA people must be a bit nuts? They might be compulsive overeaters but you have just a weight problem which you can take care of beginning tomorrow; they might be one bite from insane eating, but you are just a little or a lot overweight? Welcome to OA. Have you ever told anyone who would listen how great you are, how talented, how intelligent, how powerful.....all the time knowing they would never believe it, because you didn't believe it? Welcome to OA.
Have you ever worn a mask or hundred of masks because you were sure if you shared the person you really were no one could ever love or accept you? We accept you in OA.
May we offer you a home?
OA extends to all of you the gift of acceptance. No matter who you are, where you came from or where you are heading, you are welcome here. No matter what you have done or failed to do, what you have felt or haven't felt, where you have slept or with whom, who you have loved or hated.....you may be sure of our acceptance. We accept you as you are, not as you would be if you could melt youself, mold and shape yourself into what other people think you should be. Only you can decide what you want to be.
We will help you work for the goals you set, and when you are successful we will rejoice with you; and if you slip, we will tell you we are not failures just because we might fail, and we'll hold out our arms, in love, and stand beside you as you pull yourself back up and walk again to where you are heading! You'll never have to cry alone again, unless you choose to.
Sometimes we fail to be all we ought to be and sometimes we aren't there to give you all you need from us. Accept our imperfections, also, Love us in return and help us as we strive for progress. That's what we are in OA...imperfect and striving toward our goals. Let's rejoice together in our effort an in the assurance we can have a home, if we want one.....
