S – Surrender
Letting go of self-will and surrendering to a Higher Power, our God, trusting the process of recovery.
U – Unity
Finding strength and belonging in the AA fellowship “we” instead of “I.”
N – Nurture
Nurturing our spiritual growth, sobriety, and relationships with others in recovery.
R – Responsibility
Owning our past, making amends, and carrying the message to others who still suffer.
I – Integrity
Living honestly and practising the principles of AA in all our affairs.
S – Serenity
Seeking peace of mind through prayer, meditation, and acceptance of life as it is.
E – Experience
Sharing our experience, strength, and hope with others, so that no one has to walk alone.
Every morning at 7am, the Sunrise Step 11 meeting has become the anchor of my recovery. At first, it was just a digital space, a collection of small faces on a laptop screen, each of us holding our own pain, our own hopes, our own fears. But as the days turned into weeks, and the weeks into months, that digital gathering transformed into something living and breathing. The word Surrender found its meaning here for me. I learned that I could lay down the burden of control at this meeting, trusting in something greater than myself, trusting in the strength of the group, and in the gentle rhythm of a Higher Power working through us all.
Through the Sunrise, I discovered the gift of Unity. When I first arrived, I thought I was alone in my struggle, unique in my shame, separate from the world. Yet here were people, from all walks of life, showing me that I was not different, not broken beyond repair, but simply another traveller on the road to recovery. The faces that once flickered in pixels are now brothers and sisters, a family I belong to. We rise together with the sun, we sit in stillness together, and we remind each other that “we” is always stronger than “I.”
The meeting has also shown me the power to Nurture – not just myself, but others too. In the safety of this space, I’ve been encouraged to grow spiritually, to nurture the small shoots of hope, honesty, and faith until they became strong roots. I’ve seen the same growth in others, and there is nothing more beautiful than watching another person blossom as they step out of the shadows of addiction. In nurturing each other, we nurture ourselves, and every morning I feel that sense of mutual care deepen.
What I have also learned here is Responsibility and Integrity. Recovery is not just about abstaining from alcohol, but about living differently, living honestly. Sunrise has taught me to take ownership of my past, to make amends where I can, and to step forward with truth in my heart. The fellowship keeps me accountable; we remind one another that our recovery is maintained not by wishful thinking but by action, by showing up, by speaking honestly, and by being there for one another. The Serenity I now find through Step 11 prayer and meditation is something I never thought possible. Each morning we pause, together, to seek quiet minds and peaceful hearts, and in that silence I feel connected to something eternal.
Finally, Sunrise has given me Experience – the lived reality of what it means to share, be present, and to listen, to walk hand in hand with others on the same path. These people who were once strangers on a screen have become my companions, my brothers and sisters. I know now, with absolute certainty, that they will be there for me whatever the weather, and I will be there for them too – holding the umbrella when the storms come. Sunrise is more than a meeting; it is a daily rising of hope, a reminder that no matter how dark the night has been, the light always returns.
In The Sunrise
The night is long,
yet the dawn always comes.
I open my laptop,
and the faces appear,
first as light upon a screen,
then as brothers and sisters,
whose voices carry me,
beyond the walls of my room.
To surrender is not defeat,
but release.
The sand flows when the hand unclenches,
the heart softens,
and the will bows to what is greater.
In surrender, I find peace.
Unity is not forced.
It is the gentle binding,
of wounded souls,
who discover they are not alone.
One voice speaks,
another nods,
and the silence between us,
becomes the language of love.
Nurture is quiet work,
watering the seed,
waiting without hurry,
offering shade when the sun burns.
So we tend to one another,
and the garden grows.
Integrity is the lamp.
Responsibility is the hand that carries it.
Together they light the path,
showing us how to walk,
with truth upon our lips,
and courage within our steps.
Serenity comes like breath,
in and out,
not taken,
not clutched,
but received.
In stillness we meet the Eternal,
and in meeting,
we rest.
Experience is the gift we exchange.
What was once suffering,
becomes wisdom.
What was once isolation,
becomes fellowship.
Even in the storm,
we are together.
One holds the umbrella,
another takes shelter,
and the rain becomes blessing.
Thus, every morning at seven,
the Sun rises within me.
Not only in the sky,
but on that screen of faces,
it teaches me again and again:
that light is stronger than the dark,
and love is stronger than fear.
