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Good to have friends
I just never knew how important it was to know people who I could share my ups and downs with. When I quit drinking in 1983 I gave up a lot of people who I had called friends. By continuing to smoke, I distanced a lot of people who WOULD have been my friends.
It was meeting a group of people at Nicotine Anonymous meetings that were open and welcoming that knew what I was experiencing in wanting to quit but wanting to keep smoking that helped me find strenght and hope where I had only had despair and hopelessness before.
It was finding our board that helped me realize that if I could tell other people how I was feeling, then I didn't have to handle the emotional explosions with a smoke. I don't think men are too good at talking about their feelings to begin with, and considering I've had 32 years of stuffing feelings back with smokes, well, it is a wonder I am still together. But with the grace of God and the care of people like you, I am joyful and looking forward to a life of freedom now...freedom from the nicodemon. of course, he will always be lurking, but he does not have a grip on my whole life like he used to.
There are 3 older members in my NicA group. One has 11 years, one has 5 years and one is about to have 2 years. One of these people has been driving 40 miles a week to attend these meetings. The lady with the 11 years quit, she has been coming to meetings all that time, and even attended for over 6 months before she ever quit. That is a commitment to giving back the gift that others passed to them. I am just overwhelmed with appreciation that something like this exists for me. That people care enough to go out of their way for me, it is humbling.
Thank you for being here.
It was meeting a group of people at Nicotine Anonymous meetings that were open and welcoming that knew what I was experiencing in wanting to quit but wanting to keep smoking that helped me find strenght and hope where I had only had despair and hopelessness before.
It was finding our board that helped me realize that if I could tell other people how I was feeling, then I didn't have to handle the emotional explosions with a smoke. I don't think men are too good at talking about their feelings to begin with, and considering I've had 32 years of stuffing feelings back with smokes, well, it is a wonder I am still together. But with the grace of God and the care of people like you, I am joyful and looking forward to a life of freedom now...freedom from the nicodemon. of course, he will always be lurking, but he does not have a grip on my whole life like he used to.
There are 3 older members in my NicA group. One has 11 years, one has 5 years and one is about to have 2 years. One of these people has been driving 40 miles a week to attend these meetings. The lady with the 11 years quit, she has been coming to meetings all that time, and even attended for over 6 months before she ever quit. That is a commitment to giving back the gift that others passed to them. I am just overwhelmed with appreciation that something like this exists for me. That people care enough to go out of their way for me, it is humbling.
Thank you for being here.