Darling, Darling,

Nicotine Free Creatures !

You may remember, back in January...

I stopped posting after falling backwards off my stoop, waking in hospital stitched and concussed.

All has been well for a while now (I won't be needing any more head wounds, fgs)

although, it did take longer to recover than expected, reading was especially tricky.

"...old age is no place for sissies" (B. Davis)

However, here we are together again and I am delighted... ney, jubilant, to announce a fete.

Hurry ! Hurry !

It's time for a Soiree, a Fais Do Do !

Put on your glad rags and dancing shoes, the Band is about to blow us away.

Somebody uncork those lovely French bottles of bubbly delish.

Please, won't you join me in celebrating

T W O Y E A R S of F R E E D O M !

(the crowd, whipped into a frenzy, yowl and cheer like lunatics ! )

Never, ever thought I would quit but, did so on a whim and still holding tight.

It feels like a done deal but,

I dare not court complacency and

Remain Ever Vigilant .

Addiction doesn't disappear...we have it forever

and never know when it will rear it's ugly head.

We only have Power over it and Choice.

I cannot imagine re-introducing myself to the Slavery of Nicotine,

I know too much now.

For sure, understanding that 'one's too many and a hundred ain't enough'

helps to keep me gloriously Free

and

the freedom really is Glorious, innit.

In the early days, along with NOPE,

I chanted,

'free your head, Free Your Head, FREE YOUR HEAD !'

(often in saucier language).

I still do.

That was/is the biggest hurdle...

switching up the patterns, re-wiring my brain.

Exciting work.....Change.

As the wise ones say, 'It is a Journey'.

It isn't much about Nicotine anymore

but, the lessons learned are invaluable and applicable to a myriad of situations in my life.

I was thinking the other day about The Stockholm Syndrome

(where empathy is felt by captives toward captors),

reminiscent of nicotine addiction, eh ?

Your cheroot was your bestest friend.

Our constant companion, Nicotine.

I don't miss that Bastard.

That Liar, that stinking Thief !

I sure used to miss it.

Missed it every damn 20 minutes of my smoking life.

Why, we were inseparable for 45 years !

Nowadays,

romantic notions about smoking are easily quelled by my Free-er mind

but, lemme tell you,

without the stash of information provided by QTrain,

my denial over addiction would have stayed perfectly intact

and

without Each and Every One of You,

sharing experience and support,

I would have failed to keep my quit.

Of this, I have no doubt.

Y'all are often in my thoughts,

I am So proud of everyone gaining their own Freedom

and sincerely appreciative of all the good work here.

Thank You, one and all.

I Thank you So much.

Love,

S