We are #Flamgals – International Women’s Day 2022
Over 3000 years of recovery were collected for this International Women’s day project. What started off as a fun little project to see how many years of recovery we could collect to show other women that recovery is possible across the globe, turned into a project full of hope and fun.
Was it too much to dream that we could have a group of women who collectively would total 2022 years of recovery? If I have learned anything in recovery it is to say yes to the unknown and the slightly mad ideas I get from time to time. Opening Recovery Hour in a zoom room was one of those ideas and look at that has happened there!
So full of faith in my sisterhood in recovery to get behind this project we launched on 14th December 2021 at 2pm with a clock counting up to 2022 hours which reached its peak on 8pm on March 8th 2022 and they did not disappoint.
Women are so generous with their support when it comes to supporting other women. I had messages asking what else they could do and how else they can help. We got off to a great start in the first few days and we had 200 years of recovery on the map. We had women connect with this project who had 1 day of recovery up to 53 years of recovery. The out pouring of love was phenomenal and it was great fun. Women screen shot their posting on the map and sent it to me showing me how delighted they were, to be a part of this project that was spreading hope to other women. The map was flush with pink flamingos filling up places on the map I had never heard of across 5 continents.
I got cards (some were handmade) with flamingos on them wishing us well. I got slippers, bags, shower puffs, stuffed toys, pen, costume jewellery and a flamingo dress in the post. I kid you not I got a Flamingo dress in the post. Thank you Chris in New Zealand. It was so much fun.
Above all it filled me with hope for the future. It rejuvenated my own recovery. It felt like my very early days (way back in the mid 90’s) where I was filled with hope for the future and my faith in people was restored. People helped out simply because they could and not because there was something in it for them. I was filled with gratitude that so many got behind this and brughht it to life.
Not only did we reach the 2022 years of collective recovery but we over ran it by nearly 1000 years of recovery. Over 3000 years of recovery was recorded on the map!
We also celebrated International Women’s Day 2022 with Dr. Jo-Hanna Ivers, Assistant Professor in Addictions in Trinity College Dublin by discussing women and recovery with a guest panel.
Prof. Ivers and I went on to record a series of talks based on the feedback from that event where we discussed topics such as “What is recovery?” “Women and Recovery” and “Gambling and Recovery”.
Sometimes a mad idea can bring you places you never dreamed you would go so watch this space for what the 2023 event will be (a day at a time of course).
Sandra.