First Things First Thanks to all of you: this is your quit, which you gave so generously to me.

Celebrations and Rewards Celebrate? Yeah, like I have for a while now -- waking up a free person with a clear head and clear lungs.
Reward? Nothing I can give myself today could match what I gave myself a year ago.

A Way
There is a path to get where you want to be: it was a big secret to me,
And I wasn’t sure that a way existed. It does, and I want you to know:
– "Put one foot in front of the other."
(*S* You could say I set my sights low: watchin’ one foot at at time – never aimed for a year, just the current moment)
Sounds revolutionary, I know, but there’s a lot to it really:
it may require Faith, it may require a Change in your thinking or beliefs about what is possible, it may require
a Near-view of things or a Long-view, it may require Tools you don’t have yet or Guts you don’t think you do.
The great part is you really are capable of doing it – I know it, even if you don’t quite yet.

See Ya
And you may as well say goodbye to someone while your saying goodbye to your
murderous cig companions – say goodbye to that comfortable smoking person you used to be: because once
you get a big drink of smobriety here, there won’t be any going back. Were you to briefly all off the wagon –
you’d find that’s no longer somewhere you want to be and you’d get back on: Blairsville – we – will have changed you,
and you will no longer be comfortable in your old suit, and you will want this freedom.

Cowboy Up
A bit of Texas lingo, or maybe just western and rodeo, taken light and for fun and not meant macho at all (women
give up nothing to men in toughness) -- it’s simply about diggin’ deep and doin’ what needs to be done.
Sometimes ya just gotta get Attitude with the big, capital A. When the bronc’s gone wild or the bull’s gone bad,
when you’re in the middle of something and it seems like things just got worse: Cowboy Up.
Helps to be prepared – but hang tough, grit yer teeth (with smile to show ya can), get assertive, get attitude – yup:
Cowboy Up.

How?
Tried to figure out how I got so wrapped up: chose tobacco, like many, in the turbulent days of my ignorant youth.
Remarkable part is – I refused to actually focus on that decision much after I had made it!
People talked and I read about how bad it was for you, yet I just said "yeah, yeah" and continued on.
A thinking person able to step outside the addiction momentarily has to reach the decision that this is very bad for you.
But being an addiction, and so much more than a habit – our rewired brains choose to not decide.

Had to Be
There is Bad News: it’s your quit – no one else’s. Means I can’t give it to you and I can’t do it for you,
no matter how much either of us might want that.
There is Good News: it’s your quit: no one else’s. Means no one’s coming to get it before you’re done with it,
no one can make you lose it or take it away from you – it’s yours only.

Magic
The magic of this place for me? I’ll try to demonstrate how you, Blairsville – work for me:
Your quit? The one that might be giving you so much grief? – It’s made my life better. Amazing isn’t it? How? –
because whether I know you from here already or you just arrived or you haven’t arrived yet: I care, or will, about you.
And you doing something as good (yes, as hard) as quitting, for someone I care about – makes you special to me.

And not only that! But you care, or will, about me (maybe not this me, but someone here) – makes me feel very special.

More Magic
Another magical event? Everything that happens here that I catch helps me: successes, failures, loss, support,
struggle, peace – yours – all of that great big tapestry: has taught and strengthened my mind and my heart.
Being touched by one person here made coming worthwhile – been touched by so many!
Yes – I have very strong feelings for the you, the people here, and this place we call Blairsville.

Yet More Magic
This place gives and gives so we can take what we need – but the supply doesn't diminish at all.

Dancin' Guy
He's me and he's happy and he's dancin' – but not for me: he's dancin' for you.

Don’t Say Maybe
This is something you can control in your life – your whole life isn’t that way! But this part is.
You want this, you can do this, it’s your life and it matters! This is freedom worth fighting for,
it will change your world, and it is yours. Leap tall buildings – you can!

I had decided I was going to try to quit smoking several weeks before, but hadn't told anyone in my family, because I knew they would only be marginally supportive. You see, they'd heard this plenty of times before! I don't know how many I times I had promised my husband and my kids that I would quit smoking, only to go right back to it after a week or so, or pretend I had quit, and continue smoking in secret. Heck! I told my husband I would quit on our wedding day, then spent our honeymoon cruise sneaking cigarettes in the bathroom! Did I really think he didn't know? But I digress........
The night of my quit, I remember staying awake, long after everyone else in the house was fast asleep. I sat in front of the computer, and began searching for quitting smoking websites. I remember alternating between reading posts, and going out on the front porch to smoke my LAST pack of cigarettes. It took me until 3:11am to finish the last cigarette in the pack, then I posted my first message on Blairs bulletin board, that I had just smoked my last cigarette, and was beginning my quit. Then with shaking hands and a pounding heart, I went upstairs to bed.

That next morning, I came downstairs to the computer, to check out the bulletin board, and maybe post that I had made it through the night (big deal, I had been asleep!) To my surprise, there were about 10 posts under my quitting smoking post, offering me support and encouragement! I was so shocked! People in the midst of their own quit struggles, took the time to encourage ME! Unbelieveable! At that point, I knew I could at least make it through that day, I OWED it to the people at Blairs!

In the days ahead, I met my quit buddy, and all-time best cyber-friend, Bren. Bren was from Canada. I remember the day I discovered that--How far did this bulletin board thing reach, anyway? (I know, I know! BLAIR'S Canadian!) She was funny, friendly, warm, outgoing, and I immediately latched on to her. We decided to become quit buddies, and a wonderful relationship that lasted for over a year was born.
Our playground was the BB at Blair's. We met there daily (all day sometimes) to offer each other and others encouragement, smiles, laughter, and hope. We were hopelessly silly some days. We struggled through our quits, and cried and prayed together others. But we hung in there, and because we had eachother, and the strength of all the board, we made it, one smoke-free day after another.

I remember the really hard times, the 5th day, the 3rd week, the 3rd month (how unfair to still be craving!), even the sadness after the first year. It really is a grieving process, although why we would grieve slowly killing ourselves, I will NEVER understand! Slowly, though, it became easier. I could actually stay away whole DAYS from the BB! Soon days went by without thinking about smoking, and the days turned into weeks. I remember going through traumatic things, (a bad day at work, or a family problem) and hours after it was over, marveling that throughout the stress, the thought of smoking never once entered my mind! Could I really be at a place where wanting to smoke, or trying NOT to smoke didn't rule my life?

Then into the second year of my quit, heartbreaking news. My buddy, my lifeline, Bren, had started smoking again. It was just a night out with friends, and suddenly she was smoking again, and I was alone. Alone and wondering if maybe I should just give up, cave in, and have a smoke myself. But I didn't. I knew I NEVER wanted to go through the HELL of quitting again, and that nothing was worth having even one puff. So I hung in there, and got through the days, getting used to going it alone, and holding onto my quit. I still miss Bren everyday when I turn on my computer, and hope someday she'll come back, try again, and even if I'm not here to see her, someone here at Blairs will welcome her to the group, and become her NEW quit buddy.

But aside from the sadness of losing my quit buddy, the second year of my quit was full of great things. The birth of my beautiful daughter, Hannah Grace in December, my 'smoke free' baby. She's never known second hand smoke from her mother. Also my oldest daugher, Ashley, started high school, joined S.A.D.D, (which now stands for Student Against Dangerous Drugs) and signed a Contract for Life, where she promised never to smoke! And my 4 year old son Drew, enjoys riding his bike, while I walk alongside him, now that I'm not gasping for breath, and having to stop for a 'smoke break'. Plus my husband Brad, who told me I really couldn't consider myself an "ex-smoker" until I had been quit a year, delights in calling me his little ex-smoker now!