My Dad never stopped smoking and died of lung cancer at the age of 66. That was a wake up call for me. I was 31 at the time and I had a horrible, addicted, relationship with cigarettes ever after until I finally stopped when I was 53. The only good thing about this bad relationship with my addiction was that I smoked a lot less than I had before my Dad passed. This constant battle went on for more than 20 years. And it happened when a lot of people still smoked and you could smoke just about everywhere. I know that made it more difficult for me to stop.
My Mom tried to quit also, but was not successful either. And I tried and tried. I still remember late night excursions to the 7/11 to buy cigarettes when I just couldn't stand it any longer.
Then I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes when I was 49 and knew I had to stop. And I still couldn't. Finally, they came out with Nicorette gum, the first quit smoking aid. In the beginning my health insurance covered the cost and that, combined with the No Smoking laws and guidelines that were implemented at the time, helped me to finally successfully quit. I quickly became addicted to the Nicorette gum, however, and continued to chew and chew for another three years. Then I guess I finally realized that the gum wasn't necessary any longer. Phew!
What I find most interesting now is that no matter how stressed I am, no matter what kind of bad things happen, I never ever think of smoking. For a long time after I quit, I thought I could always get some Nicorette gum if I felt like smoking. But I never did. Even with this background story, I enjoy having this pretty little dish in my home and thinking of my Mom when I look at it.
