Brenda!  I’m so glad to hear from you!  Yes 10 months of freedom for us!  I’m so proud of us - we must have quit on the craziest possible time.  What we have gone thru, ANYONE can quit smoking.  I DONT WANT TO HEAR ANY EXCUSES NEWBIES!  Hahaha.  I’m so glad we have our friendship.  I think of you often too.  I tell my mom about you too.  She’s probably having similar feelings to you now.  Do you have any children?

I posted an “In Memoriam” piece for my father for Father’s Day in the Washington Post.  It was super expensive, but very healing.  I needed to do that.  I’m grateful my husband was supportive of that.  If you’d like to read it, it’s here:

https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/washingtonpost/obituary.aspx?n=joseph-francis&pid=196370776

Will you tell me about your husband?  I would love to hear about him and your experience and love.  
 

Love you Brenda.  

Debbie you are an amazing inspiration!  I just love your energy.

Hi, read your tribute to your dad! Very beautifully done! Loved it and also cried, because of the love you had for him! So nice to hear about a father who was their for his children. 
 

My dad, not so much, my Step Dad was great and also a man of few words. Generation? Maybe. 
 

Anyway great job on the upcoming 10 months mark! It’s a hard road to travel!

Eve 1/30/2020

Thanks Eve!  Congratulations to you on 6 months coming up!  

Your memorial post in the Washington Post brought a tear to my eye. Your dear Dad was a hero in so many ways and I totally understand why you'd miss him. There are some wonderful people that come into our lives that inspire us towards greatness and he's one of them. I lost my dad way too early too and understand your grief. Your dad is very proud of you for kicking this money grabbing health sucking wicked tough drug addiction behind you. You are no longer poisoning yourself. You show that nicotine monster who's the boss ! 

Soon you'll be in the One Year Clubhouse so just keep on NOPING every day and inspire others to just keep going!!

"Quitting isn't for Sissies!" I quit poisoning myself Sept. 27, 2013

Aw thank you Debbie!!

Hey Alex,

I am so sorry for your pain this first Fathers Day without your Dad!  You wrote a beautiful tribute.  He will always be in your heart and thru you, his memory lives on.  Thank you for sharing a glimpse of your Dad with us!

Aww thanks Susan!  That means a lot! 

That would mean 6 cartons of cigarettes a month - how many packages of smokes are in carton?

Thanks for writing this Alex.

Never underestimate your strength or power as one person. I’m with you as far as the state of things. Also know that smoking or not doesn’t change things around us. If it did I’d be first in line to buy a carton.

Im a believer in not everyone can carry the weight of the world, but I’m also a believer in if we all carry a little bit and not stick our heads in the sand and ignore it, it will get better. You are doing an important and powerful part by raising your littles as you are to have open minds and hearts. Don’t underestimate that power either. 
Human nature is...strange. In so many ways. So, though I have little hope that we will ever get to a place globally where all lives matter equally, I do have hope that we can impact in small ways daily for ourselves and those around us. Even if NOT supporting big tobacco is all we do, it is something...

Where are you?