That's Me! That's Me! episode #11 with Sara S.
That's Me! That's Me! episode #11 with Sara S.

Recovery Radio Network

Sara S shares how a court-ordered treatment stay, young people’s meetings, and deep fellowship drew her into long-term sobriety. She talks openly about atheistic spirituality, grief, and finding genuine connection and fun in AA without a traditional belief in God.

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43:15•17 Apr 2026

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Finding "That’s Me" in AA: Sara S on Sobriety, Fellowship, and Atheistic Spirituality

Episode Overview

AA fellowship and young people’s meetings can make early sobriety feel welcoming, social, and fun.
Someone can stay sober and engaged in AA while identifying as atheistic, focusing on shared energy and kindness rather than traditional God concepts.
Tools like the Prayer of St Francis and praying for those you resent for two weeks are still useful even if your beliefs shift.
Grief and major losses may completely change a person’s idea of a higher power, yet recovery can continue through community and honesty.
Online and Zoom meetings, often started out of fear and necessity, became vital lifelines that kept people connected during lockdown.

“"I walked into an empty room and suddenly my heart went boom… it’s an orchestra of angels and they’re playing with my heart."”

Curious about how others manage their sobriety journey? This episode of *That's Me! That's Me!* on the Recovery Radio Network centres on long‑term recovery, friendship, and finding your own way with spirituality, all through the story of guest Sara S.

With over three decades sober (sobriety date 7 January 1993), Sara talks about her first brushes with Alcoholics Anonymous: an AA meeting she attended as part of a college course while still drinking, and later a court‑ordered stay at Broward Addiction Recovery Center after a DUI accident in Florida. She recalls relating strongly to AA speakers, yet thinking, "Someday, when I need help, I know where to go" rather than getting sober straight away.

The heart of the episode sits in her love for the fellowship. Sara describes walking into meetings as, "I walked into an empty room and suddenly my heart went boom… it's an orchestra of angels and they're playing with my heart." She shares how young people’s meetings showed her that sober life could be full, funny, and social, not dull and lonely.

A big thread here is how to stay in AA if you’re atheistic or allergic to traditional God language. Sara openly questions the Big Book, talks about trying to "do this thing without God", and explains how grief – especially the death of her five‑year‑old niece – shattered old ideas.

These days, she connects more with the energy of people gathered for kindness and describes fellowship itself as deeply spiritual, while still using tools like the Prayer of St Francis and the "pray for them for two weeks" resentment practice. Hosts Monica K and Julia J keep things warm and funny, weaving in their own friendship, conference stories, and the wild early‑Zoom‑meeting days.

If you’ve ever wondered whether there’s room in AA for sceptics, grief, and a sense of humour, this conversation might feel like a gentle nod that says, "Yep, that’s me."

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