Don't Smoke, Just Read

Today is the Great American Smokeout. There are so many reasons not to smoke; you're all aware of them, and I won't bore you by repeating them.

You'd have to be living under a rock not to know that cancer is my pet cause. Every year I hound you politely request that you support my Relay for Life walk. What you may not know is that I also give money throughout the year to City of Hope, and that my grandparents left the bulk of their estate to the City of Hope. It's a family tradition, doing our part to fight cancer.

Some self-indulgent storytime... my hubby was a double chain-smoker when we met in college. He was like the double helix of smokers. Cigarettes and... well, you get it. Thankfully, he quit cigarettes at the age of 22. Cold turkey. The other? Let's just say it took a little longer :)

Both my parents also chain-smoked. It was a lot more common back in the day. I remember my mom sending us to the store to buy her cigarettes. My dad quit cold turkey when I was 2. He was home alone with me during a bitter snowstorm in Boston when he ran out of cigarettes. After smoking every butt in the house, he just figured he wasn't meant to be a smoker anymore. But to the day he died, he had smoking dreams so realistic he'd wake up and ask my mom if he'd smoked the night before.

So today, I'm urging you. If you are a smoker, and you know who you are *coughjennniferbcough*, please make every attempt to give it up. The life you save may be your own.

For materials on how to quit and where to get support, please go here.