A wonderful weekend!

Ah what a wonderful weekend it was! A very dear friend arrived on Friday evening - we had such fun! Ya know how it is with the best of friends - you share all your thoughts and feelings - both good and bad - without feeling you will be judged. You laugh, you cry, you laugh about crying - and you even cry about laughing! This dear friend has been smoke free for 9 years! She has emphysema now but continues to attack life with a positive cheerfulness that is such an inspiration to me. The effects of the shingles continue to be an aggravation - I suspect that this will continue for some time. However, my thought process right now is that perhaps this is a good thing. I really do not know if the shingles attack has anything to do with the smoking cessation, but I chose to believe that it does. Actually I chose to believe that all the nasty physical and emotional 'hells' I have experienced these last few weeks are a result of withdrawal from the tobacco. Perhaps this choice of belief will stick with me during those difficult moments when temptation raises its ugly head. Today was one of those days when temptation got a good hold on me. I must learn to get a handle on how to deal with stress and 'issues'. Got through it though I am happy to say. Just kept telling myself that I 'can have that lozenge when I get home!'. Ha - it was a good lozenge - what a relief! Ya - I know it is nothing more than a 'mind set' but for now I am going to 'go with it'. Like my 'quit buddy' says - I feel like I am bragging..... well damn it I am gonna brag too. I have been through some hard times in my life and well - this is right up there with (almost) the worst. Thinking now of all those loved ones who are right now and who have already been a victom of tobbaco!