One Year Thoughts for Newbies

FIrst, thanks to all for the One Year Congrats. I love reading them all. You don't realize how special those greetings are until you hit that mark! When i was struggling, i gained a lot from folks who had made it to one year and would post about it, because one year seemed virtually impossible to me. So, ahem...clear the stage...here's my one year spiel.I smoked for over 30 years....started in college. Out of the smokers in my group,Herbal cigarettes, i KNEW i would be the first to quit. I was just a social smoker. Every single one of those women (we still get together once a year) quit years before i did. As the decades rolled on, I went from thinking I'd quit very, very soon to really wanting to quit. And, that is when i finally had to admit the addiction was very, very, very strong. Of course, I would hide behind, Well, maybe i just enjoy it too much. Maybe, i don't want to quit badly enough. What about the social hour(s) my husband and I enjoy so much, which involved smoking? We won't talk anymore! --like smoking was the foundation of our almost 30 year marriage, gee whiz. But, the years had taken their toll. That smoker's cough was yuckky. Sometimes, in faculty meetings, i would have a coughing fit, then try to cover it up by sniffling--so folks would trust it was allergy trouble. (I was a closet smoker most of those years).So, repeatedly I blew quits of 30 minutes to 3 days. I had one 3 month quit about 15 years ago, but blew it upon hearing some sad news.Then, i found the QSB and it made all the difference. For the first time, it looked do-able. I quit--it lasted 6 weeks and i gave it up (pre-meditated) during a vacation. My next quit lasted 4 weeks. I gave it up, also. Each time i would come back to QSB, snivelling and on the defensive,quit smoking now, because i did not want the lectures, Thankfully, folks were kind. Tough love would have probably meant i would never have come back. Through all this time, i had the most remarkable quit-buddy a person could have - CJ. Our quit date was 1/26/08. She kept her quit, and insisted i could still be her quitbuddy. While that didn't make a lot of sense to me, i was honored that she was keeping the faith in me. and...6 months later i got sick and tired of blowing quits.It was a struggle. The carrot dangling in front of me was the folks who had gone before - who kept posting on the board how it DOES it get easier. I think it took longer for it to get truly easy for me. But, now it is such smooth sailing. A teeny, tiny bump here and there, but none that require a second thought. I ABSOLUTELY LOVE being free from smoking. Thanks to all who helped make this day come true for me.