1826 days 5 years quit today!!!

[joyeuxencore]

All I can say is if you're new here do the suggested reading stay close make some friends and welcome to your new beautiful authentic self. I can't believe the amazing things that have happened in my life and who I have become in five years of freedom! The best thing is that I've found my true compassion and become vegan and with that an amazing chef! That's just not something I ever even thought or dreamed about but it has come to be!  You never know what is in store for your heart and soul on the other side of the smoke screen! Thank you to all my ex-friends who made this possible I'm so incredibly profoundly grateful and happy today! pir8fan Giulia YoungAtHeart Thomas3.20.2010  SkyGirl johio  JonesCarpeDiem  Thank you for helping me save my own life!!!

[YoungAtHeart]

YIPPEE FOR FIVE YEARS!

Nancy

[OldBones-Larry]

Great milestone my friend. This is the next one I aim at. 

Congratulations on this great day!!!!

[JonesCarpeDiem]

Great Job!

[elvan]

Congratulations on FIVE YEARS, what a spectacular milestone.  Congratulations, too, on becoming an excellent chef.  I am always surprised when I eat something vegan, usually prepared by my son or my daughter in law, that is SO GOOD.  My favorite cupcakes of all time are some that my son used to make.  He has not made them in YEARS...they were a cinnamon/vanilla cake with a vanilla frosting that was very mildly cinnamon as well.  Oh YUM.  I work in a vegetarian cafe where we have vegan options for almost everything we offer.  If someone does not want cheese, they can choose to substitute a different protein like hummus or grilled tofu...or, we have vegan cheese which is pretty good.  It's also a market and I am stunned by the people who come in looking for things I never even HEARD of.  Life is a journey and it is so much better, smoke free.

Ellen

[HealthyOrange]

Congratulations on 5 years, Teddy!  When I was new in my quit, you reached out to me on this site and said hello and welcome!  So glad to hear the excitement in your message!  You deserve to celebrate BIG!  5 years, what a truly huge accomplishment.  Can't wait to see your pictures.  xoxo

[elvan]

Good to hear from you HealthyOrange‌!  

[Jennifer-Quit]

Congrats to you on 5 years - truly inspirational!

[Strudel]

Congrats again Teddy! Five years is a wonderful milestone! 

[freeneasy]

Congratz Teddy Joy! I'm glad you were here when I showed up a couple of months later!

[MarilynH]

It's wonderful to see you Jamie, you are missed my friend and fellow Exer.  HealthyOrange xo.

[MarilynH]

Congratulations on your 5 glorious smoke free years and counting WTG my friend and fellow Exer, I love your milestone, yay you.

[Giulia]

What a gloriously long time you've been smoke free!  Every year is another joyeux encore milestone.  Delighted to have been a part of it all, Teddy.  

                                                                              

[joyeuxencore]

freeneasy   Oh my gosh THANK YOU friend!!!!!!!!!!!! You are the best!! xo

[joyeuxencore]

Giulia‌ I am so grateful for your inspiration and help through these years my friend!!! 

[joyeuxencore]

Strudel‌ my lady how lovely to even think about you!!!!!!!!!!!! xo

[joyeuxencore]

Jennifer-Quit‌ thanks my friend!!

[joyeuxencore]

MarilynH‌ You are the best my friend! Thanks!! xo

[joyeuxencore]

HealthyOrange‌ I remember very well when you arrived my friend! SO glad to see you still free!!!!!!!! xo

[joyeuxencore]

elvan‌ WOW so you know all about what I am doing how awesome!!!!! I wish I could swing by for lunch!! Thank you for your well wishes lovely lady...We have had a connection since you first arrived!! xo

[joyeuxencore]

JonesCarpeDiem‌ love you Dale! Thanks for your late night help in early quit!!! Looks like there will be a west coast EX get together! I wish I could be there!!! xo

[joyeuxencore]

OldBones-Larry‌ thank you very much Larry!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! xo

[joyeuxencore]

YoungAtHeart‌ OH Nancy what to say to a lady that held my hand through the rough spots and never let go??!! Thank you wonderful woman!!!!!!!!!!!! xo

[SkyGirl]

My dear friend Teddy,

Congratulations!  You have done so many new wonderful things since we first met five years ago!  

I’m thinking about where we were and what we were doing back then.  Despite the fact that we went through some difficult days and some bad cravings, we managed to have some amazing fun in the virtual world, didn’t we?  I’m sure you remember all the fun we had while we were in No Man’s Land!  

Remember the Beach Party?  The bonfire, the crazy bathing suits (Lee in a thong...oh, my!), the margaritas (that’s when Tommy always showed up!), the belly-dancers and when the firemen showed up, I thought jojo was going to faint!  She does love pirates!

Remember the “Cookies are part of the journey” thread?  We had Nutter-Butters, chocolate-dipped potato chips and that’s when freedom34 (Kari) first introduced us to Nainamo bars.  

We had the desert oasis party with EXers arriving on camels and in Jeeps racing over the sand dunes.  And pirates...oh, those pirates.  Remember Jordan?  She was right there with us in the beginning, wasn’t she? And, of course, margaritas so Tommy would show up!  And he brought Belle from Disneyland with him.

Remember when you took me to brunch at the yacht club?  That was wonderful, wasn’t it?

Remember when I arbitrarily decided that I was going to call you “Teddy”, because I thought you needed a nickname?  And it stuck!!  Everyone calls you “Teddy” now!

Remember when you rallied all those EXers and sent me those wonderful packages of cards and letters when I was so sick for four months without a diagnosis?  That is one of the most wonderful things anyone has ever done for me, Teddy.  

I will always treasure our friendship.  You know those friendships that always feel close, no matter how long it’s been since we’ve seen each other (whether here on EX or in real life)?  That’s what we have.  

And we have that friendship because we did THREE SIMPLE THINGS.  We made the DECISION to quit.  We COMMITTED to that decision.  And we HONORED our commitment every single day, no matter what life threw at us.

And we did it TOGETHER.  Because here on EX, we learn that the support you give to others always comes back to you when you need it.  And we learned that helping others find their Quit makes our own Quit stronger.  And we learned that quitting doesn’t have to be a miserable experience.  Believe it or not, it can also be
FUN.  And, boy, we sure had fun sometimes, didn’t we? 

I’m giving you a hug right now, Teddy.  Congratulations on being a successful Quitter, a wise advisor to those who came after us, and an inspiration to everyone here on EX.  Congratulations on FIVE YEARS.  You are amazing!

XXXOOO, Sky

[Thomas3.20.2010]

You're simply Marvelous, Teddy!

Congratulations!

[Giulia]

Teddy, I'm grateful for the quit you have kept true to.  That you have kept your commitment to.  Your quit strengthens mine, as an oldbie, just as it helps to strengthen the newbie's.  We walk happily in each other's shadows.

[Mike.n.Atlanta]

You are free Teddy. Congratulations on 5 years of smoke free living!

Keep on keepin on,

M n @

[smokefreedom]

Congrats!!!!!! what a wonderful accomplishment, I am very happy for you . You are amazing!!!

[joyeuxencore]

HealthyOrange‌ thank you I TOTALLY remember the first time I saw your avatar & responded to you...I Loved the handle & still do!!! SO glad you made it!

[joyeuxencore]

SkyGirl‌ oh you know me and I am weeping like crazy & so grateful that you showed up in my life... Being friends with you made all the difference getting through that first year & staying quit. I say 'ditto' to every sentiment you oh so eloquently conveyed above.(You are a splendid writer!!!)  I will never forget each one of those times. We laughed so hard on that trip to and all through Vegas...I don't think I have ever laughed as much before or since. Our friendship is forever because we stared down  our demon together and won. I love you from the bottom of my heart my friend. I sure hope to see you again one day soon!

teddy joy...best nickname EVER!!!! 

[joyeuxencore]

Thomas3.20.2010‌ I have told you many times how much you mean to me friend...Kindness is never forgotten and you wrapped your wings around me on a very dark day & kept me safe. Love you. xo

[joyeuxencore]

Giulia‌ it sure is nice on the other side of hell...think I'll stick around!!! xo

[joyeuxencore]

Mike.n.Atlanta‌ how GREAT to see you my friend. Always an inspiration that is you!!! xo

[joyeuxencore]

smokefreedom‌ thank you it truly is wonderful...As you know this site is the way to get there! xo