I was cleaning out my email and saw I was mentioned in the celebrations on 12/1 - so I had to come look. That was my 3000th day of just not smoking each day! Now it's 3043. Wowzers!
Over 8 years. Dang! I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for this community. Thank you.
Life's been pretty good. My troubled son moved out 2 days after he turned 18, moved to Alaska, bought some property, and then decided to join the Army. He is doing AMAZING!!!! My only complaint is that he picked up the nicotine habit. He recently re-upped for 4 more years and is now stationed overseas. I did get to have a month with him before Christmas and it was lovely. I got to photograph him proposing, and she said yes!
My daughter is 13 and doing what kids her age do.
I've been self-employed and working from home since 2017. I really want to get back to an office. I have been really isolated with this work situation, though it was helpful during the days when my girl had to do online school.
I've been dating an amazing man for a little over 2 years. Our kids get along well. We laugh a lot. I enjoy every minute I get to spend with him. I'm hoping this moves to something closer, but I am happy with where we are now.
With my son joining the Army my daughter and I have been traveling a lot to see him. I hadn't been on a plane since 2006, and now we are getting passports! Just this year we've been to Texas, Nebraska, NYC and Upstate NY, and Florida.
At the beginning of last year, I decided I was going to really make an effort to find my biological son I had made an adoption plan for way back in 1994. I made a facebook page, I did a DNA test with one of those big sites, I tried to find the lawyer who facilitated the adoption.
Well, the DNA did not reveal my son, but it showed me that the man I had been told was my father was not. (I am adopted also.) I am fairly certain I know who my bio-father is based on the close relatives the DNA did show, and contacted him through the Facebook page I set up for finding my son. He asked if I had tested with a different company. So, I did that test as well, and then the man decided he didn't want to talk to me anymore. BUT...
I FOUND MY SON! I got the results the day before my birthday and I saw him on there and it was crazy. His name is Cody. I immediately called my son in the Army - and he helped me decide on what I should say in a message to Cody. I included my phone number and hit send and then left for a date with the boyfriend. I was on the phone with my son while I was driving when I got the text message - Hi. This is Cody. I've been searching for you! My boy stayed on the phone with me until I got to my boyfriend's house(I think he was worried I was going to crash because I was so excited!). I quickly replied to Cody and then he called and I was crying and laughing and talking a mile a minute as I walked into the house.
My daughter and I got to meet Cody in person in June in New York City. We have developed a great relationship. I've talked to his mom and his sister and met his boyfriend and everything is SO good! We were going to get together over Christmas but he had tested positive for the virus so we couldn't make it work.
I am so grateful I can do all of this traveling without the burdens that smoking caused. I'm sure I wouldn't be able to afford all the travel if I was smoking - I was shocked to hear how much they cost now! I was sad to see my mother's sisters and their kids still smoking. I am happy I can go to job interviews knowing I don't stink from smoking. I'm happy I'm here and healthy so I can have all these great experiences!
I don't even think about it anymore. On occasion, I remember that I used to smoke. I thought about it around the anniversary of my quit last year, not smoking but that it had been YEARS since I quit. My boyfriend smokes on occasion - I don't know how he keeps it to just a couple a week. I know that for me, I can not ever smoke again. He and my son both vape too. I'm so thankful I don't do any of that.
If you are new - I know it feels hard. I know it can be scary. I remember being at the beginning of my quit (after many unsuccessful attempts over many years) and hanging on to each milestone. I used chantix. It helped a lot.I came here a lot. And in the end, it really came down to one thing - I just didn't smoke. I don't smoke anymore. Each day, I just didn't smoke. And the days added up. And before I knew it I had already been through 2 sets of seasons. And now I'm here over 8 years smoke free.
You can do it too. There are lots of people here who've been there. There's so much information available here. There are so many people you can reach out to. We are all cheering for you!
Be well, and don't smoke!
~Elims/Lisa
