~~Your desire to change must be greater than your desire to remain the same.~~ Unknown
I love the holidays and enjoy the the shopping, decorating, and celebrating with friends and family. Others, however, find the holidays stressful, lonely, and even heartbreaking. I understand that. I get it. And I hope you know that it's ok to not be ok. You may have heard that already and if so, I'm here to second that. It's ok to be sad, to find the holidays difficult, to feel lonely and lost. But I hope you have someone who feels like peace to you. A safe person who gets you and who is simply there with you offering nothing more than their presence. Someone who gets you and understands your need to grieve. To cry. Or to just feel broken.
I think of so many people here who have sat with me or supported me through my stuff. This site was a sanctuary for me throughout the years. No one told me to 'get over it' or 'suck it up'. No one slapped at me when my quit wasn't anymore. And so I felt accepted and heard. Thank you, my friends, for hearing me.
I finally quit smoking for good when my desire to change became greater than my desire to remain the same. Life still threw stress my way. Life still took the ones I love. Life still happened. But I didn't reach for a cigarette anymore to cope. Smoking didn't change anything and certainly never gave me back what I lost.
I'm not telling you not to smoke through your grief or stress. I hope you do whatever you need to do to get through the holidays. But I am reminding you that when your desire to change is greater than your desire to remain the same, you'll quit. Life will still happen but you just won't smoke through it.
I believe in you. And I know that whatever it is you're going through, you can count on me and so many more people here to be with you without judgment or conditions. And when your desire to change is greater than your desire to remain the same, we will still be here with support. I believe in you. I hope you believe in yourself as well.
And most of all, I hope that if you are hurting during the holidays, you find your sanctuary in a friend or family member. Sending you peace and love,
Sheri
