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Share your quitting journey

I Told My Fifth Graders Goodbye

SimplySheri
Member
9 29 209

~~It hurts because it matters.~~  John Green

I told my fifth graders good-bye tonight.  I accepted a job that makes it impossible for me to teach religious ed on Wednesday evenings.  It hurt.

I was told I was being 'self-righteous', 'judgmental', and 'defensive'.  It hurt.

It hurt because it matters.  Some think that by staying in the comfort zone of addiction, they can avoid the pain recovery can uncover.  Some think that if they hide behind a cloud of smoke, the hurt won't find them. 

It hurts because it matters.  Quitting matters.  Recovery matters.  It's going to hurt as you unravel the layers of smoking to become who you've always been meant to be.  Letting go can hurt.  Changing course can hurt.  Accepting can hurt.  It all matters because you matter!!  Your health, your emotions, your life.  You.  Matter.

Avoiding hurt is avoiding parts in your life that may enrich and enlighten you.  We don't grow as people in our comfort zone.  We don't learn when we hide from life.  Only through feeling pain can we truly bask in our joy.  Only in hurting can we revel in our contentment.  Because we've been in the darkness can we clearly see the light.

No, it's not a pleasant feeling.  And no, we do not want to wallow in our pain.  But we will survive it.  And we will grow from it.  And it will make us so much better than we ever thought we could be.  

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