checkThe thing to keep in mind is about quitting smoking is, it is not a game or a hobby. It is life or death. There is no way to change what is at stake in this endeavor. Your health and your very life are the whole point of quitting.

The effects of smoking are not relative. They do not depend on your opinion, your education, your economic status, or any other attribute. It is a straight-forward equation; when you smoke the damage is done in direct proportion. The more you smoke, the more the damage accumulates. It is inevitable that continued smoking will result in deteriorating life-support function in the body.

When someone you love faces the reality of cancer, or any other life-threatening disease, it is a woeful feeling, indeed. The cauldron of hopelessness, helplessness, and rage at something that is stealing a precious life is unbearable. Watching that loved one waste away to nothing is a terrible experience.

Why we do things that risk slow and painful death, while people who love us watch in despair, is so far beyond my understanding that I will never get it. I used to do things like that myself, and I can’t say why. I am just human.

Life is too precious to throw it away for no reason. I wish I had learned that lesson long ago. Better late than never.

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