A Close Call

[ladyinthelake]

The last month has been s&*t on a stick. My dad died of a sudden and unexpected complication with cancer just a few days before my birthday. My brother got diagnosed with the same cancer. I had major surgery but had to do a bunch of driving and helping when my dad got suddenly ill, and I probably gave myself a hernia or at least set back my recovery a few weeks. Oh, and I signed the contract on a new job that puts me in the awkward position of needing to be in 3 places at once for the months of June and July whilst figuring out how to move from two sides of the country to a new place in the middle.

So when a friend took me out for drinks a few nights ago, I had a few too many. For some reason, he left 3 cigarettes on the bar when he was off talking to some friends and I took one and put it in my pocket for later. And I sat there in my tipsy oblivion for 10 minutes, feeling it burn a hole in my pocket while envisioning myself out on the balcony smoking it. Then with a big sigh, I put it back on the bar and went home, drank a big glass of water and went to bed, all 80 days of my quit in tact. That was the first and only moment I've been truly tempted. I don't know what stopped me, but I am so very grateful that I didn't fall back. And I asked my friend to never be so careless with his cigarettes in the future.

[Quit4Money 1 Year Smoke Free 9 Months Smoke Free]

Okay I think you win BEST POST OF the YEAR award, Lady in the Lake! Super sorry about your dad's passing and your brother's diagnosis...ugh. And congrats on the new job! You will get all that living arrangement stuff figured out. Huge congrats ... in the midst of all that energy ... you resisted temptation like a CHAMP. Hola! Gonna have to start calling you Amazon Women in the Lake pretty soon.

[KatNL 6 Months Smoke Free]

Hey ladyinthelake, with all that is going on in your life , Im so happy for you that you didn't smoke that smoke. I could picture the whole thing with the smokes on the bar....the temptation, the pocket and then putting the darned thing back.... good for you , good for you!

[Kalkan]

Wow, that's truly impressive.

[THRIVE532]

Wow....what strength through everything. So sorry for your loss...I lost my dad to cancer several years ago but there's not one day I don't think of him or thank God for giving me him as my dad. Cancer s**ks. I will pray for your brother. Stay strong...my dad always said you can find a glimmer of hope through anything if you try - your strength in putting the cigarette down is your glimmer of hope! You've got this!

💜🙏💜