My life as a smoker
I started smoking a couple years after my mother was diagnosed with cancer. I am the second oldest child in the family, and had all the stress with no help from my older sister.
One day I was venting about how stressed I was about going to school, working, and helping to take care of my dying mother (I was 17), when my friend asked me if I wanted a cigarette. I looked at him and said "Hell no!", but truthfully, I was thinking about it, so I took one from him. In some way, it seemed to help, but still wasn't what I was looking for.
Soon, I was smoking three packs a day by myself to cope. I know when I have a habit that's not good, I always find a way to stop.
Why and how I quit smoking
I got pregnant by my (now) husband so my mother could see her first grandchild before she died. I quit smoking...but four months after my son was born, I started up again from all the stress and pressure.
When my son was almost a year old I stopped smoking -- that was in March of 2009. What drove me was to be a better role model / influence for my son; I didn't want him to see me smoking. Besides, taking all things into account like living a healthier life, not giving my son asthma from secondhand smoke, not running out of breath when playing with him, etc. I love my healthier smoke-free life. I wouldn't give it up for anything.
Advice
- Challenge yourself to be the best you can be, a non-smoker.
- Think of what type of influence you are for your children; how important are they to you?
- Replace your smoking habit with something healthy, like exercise.
- Think about how long you want to live; do you want to see your great grand children grow up?
- Do you really want to look 10 years older than you actually are?
- Women age faster than men, cigarette smoking only increases your age. It doesn't slow it down.
