I am a year smoke free now.
It just amazes me when I look back at the things I have learned in my journey to quit smoking.
It took almost that long to get the smell out of my house. That too is gone now.
I quit at one of the lowest points in my life. I think I just felt that things could not get worse and the only way I could make a difference was with me. Smoking had been a part of my life since I was 13 years old. When something good happened I celebrated with a smoke. When something bad happened I morned with a smoke. Births, deaths and weddings were all reasons to calm my nerves and having a smoke did that I thought at the time.
I smoked, my husband smoked all our friends smoked and as our children got old enough they smoked. It was not until I started to get grandchildren that the idea of quitting was even mentioned. Doctors orders, no smoking while pregnant. No smoking around the child. Needless to say thing got pretty restless around my house and the drinking increased as the smoking became something to hide.
I went to a smoking class, I took Welbutrin, and I snuck around to smoke. For almost a year I smoked only when I was alone. Needless to say I wasn't inviting many people over and I wasn't seeing my grand kids as often as I would have liked.
Everyone had quit but me. How in the world will I ever be able to do this. I felt so bad most all the time. was it from smoking or from just being miserable inside myself. I began to wonder if I even knew myself. Things were sure not like I had hoped they would be at this age.
Life is about choices. Those four words have changed my life. It was my choice. I needed to fix me and let everyone else fix themselves or stay as they are but my goal was to concentrate on me. Just me was a full time job.
I started keeping a journal, joined a stop smoking site and lucked into meeting the greatest group of people you could imagine. They taught me so much about life and love and addiction and taking care of yourself. It has just been wonderful, even the crying for the first 6 months was worth it now.
My first year celebration was much bigger than I had anticipated. Well wishes and gifts and just the thought was so touching. I am a lucky woman.
A tropy, a certificate and flowers, all from other quitters, Now isn't that amazing!! Support from cyber space becomes real.
It just amazes me when I look back at the things I have learned in my journey to quit smoking.
It took almost that long to get the smell out of my house. That too is gone now.
I quit at one of the lowest points in my life. I think I just felt that things could not get worse and the only way I could make a difference was with me. Smoking had been a part of my life since I was 13 years old. When something good happened I celebrated with a smoke. When something bad happened I morned with a smoke. Births, deaths and weddings were all reasons to calm my nerves and having a smoke did that I thought at the time.
I smoked, my husband smoked all our friends smoked and as our children got old enough they smoked. It was not until I started to get grandchildren that the idea of quitting was even mentioned. Doctors orders, no smoking while pregnant. No smoking around the child. Needless to say thing got pretty restless around my house and the drinking increased as the smoking became something to hide.
I went to a smoking class, I took Welbutrin, and I snuck around to smoke. For almost a year I smoked only when I was alone. Needless to say I wasn't inviting many people over and I wasn't seeing my grand kids as often as I would have liked.
Everyone had quit but me. How in the world will I ever be able to do this. I felt so bad most all the time. was it from smoking or from just being miserable inside myself. I began to wonder if I even knew myself. Things were sure not like I had hoped they would be at this age.
Life is about choices. Those four words have changed my life. It was my choice. I needed to fix me and let everyone else fix themselves or stay as they are but my goal was to concentrate on me. Just me was a full time job.
I started keeping a journal, joined a stop smoking site and lucked into meeting the greatest group of people you could imagine. They taught me so much about life and love and addiction and taking care of yourself. It has just been wonderful, even the crying for the first 6 months was worth it now.
My first year celebration was much bigger than I had anticipated. Well wishes and gifts and just the thought was so touching. I am a lucky woman.
A tropy, a certificate and flowers, all from other quitters, Now isn't that amazing!! Support from cyber space becomes real.
1 comment:
oh honey, dear pollye,
i am so glad you decided to take this journey, and i am honored to have walked beside you on it. I feel the joy you experience now on a day to day basis, and am so happy for you. I count you as a friend and hope you feel the same {hug}
aloha
-Kristina
Post a Comment