I didn't have the emotional room to be happy about quitting smoking eight years ago, or seven, even six years ago. I appreciated that I wasn't smoking, but I wasn't especially happy or joyful.
Having smoked for most of my adult life, I remember off and on during those years wanting to have real time smoke free, wanting to know what it felt like to be completely detached from nicotine, smoking, the whole rigamorole. It seemed that I'd never live tobacco free again.
The days have added up, the years--now at eight years, it's easy to believe that being tobacco free for good is possible. Because in the world of recovery descipline is uppermost, it will always be one day at a time for me... but, it sure feels good to have those days add up to eight years.
The struggle is over, maintenance is mandatory, and I intend to and look forward to staying tobacco, nicotine free for the rest of my life. How good it feels to say this.
