AshesToAshes » quitting

Madison!

jackiehoysted — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 01:17:13 +0000

I had yet another new package in the mail on Saturday – this time from Madison. Her quit day was Feb. 24th and she is working hard on keeping that quit. Good for her.

This is her goodbye letter and a picture of the package she sent me.

dear smokes,

i am going to miss the feeling of you between my lips. i am going to miss the ‘relaxation’ feeling you always gave me. i am going to miss having you for my comfort zone. i am going to miss sharing you with friends. i am going to miss the fun times of flicking you out the window trying to hit a mud puddle. i am going to miss your ashes in my ashtrays. i am going to miss throwing your empty pkgs away. i am going to miss your butt for other reasons as well. thats only to name a few. but most of all and most importantly, i have got to leave you behind. i am making new changes and there is no way i can let you come with me. i’m sorry. i have chest pains which i know i never had when i quit. i can have cleaner teeth, fresher breath, shinier hair, more friends, i can have it all, money in my pocket, new clothes in my closet, new CD’s on my dresser, candy on my chair where your ashtray sits, i can get a hair cut, new shoes, i can walk to the library for books to keep you away from me (and i’ll get a lawyer if i have to), my home wont be smoky smelling, i can do a lot of things that i cant do with you as my friend. so i guess what i am saying here, gosh this is hard, is goodbye. i just dont love you anymore. i dont need you anymore. i fell in love with someone else. i love me, madison! i now need to care for me not anyone else. just me.
bye

Madison also had her ‘burial’ service for her last cigarettes and this is her obituary to them:

GENERIC UVALL BRANDS

Generic Uvall Brands, 27, of Florida, formerly of Sandwich and Sheridan, Il passed away on Tuesday, July 29,2008 at home after a long battle with cancer. He was born June 30, 1981 to Misty Light (Long) and Marlboro (‘Red’) Long and was loved very much by his adoptive parents Awl Brands and Menny More.
He will be remembered for his chemical dependancy by his special partners Bic and Cricket Lighters.
He is survived by his non-smoking wife, Madison, his sons Kool and Camel, his daughters Virginia Slim and Misty Menthol.
He is proceeded in death by his cousins Terreyton, and Viceroy, and an Uncle GPC & mother-in law, Doral.

Funeral services will be held on Wednesday July 30, 2008 at the Florida Fake Funeral Home of Oak Tree Ground near Roots at 9:00 a.m. Upon his request, there will be no prior visitation. Memorials may be directed to cigarette companies of your choice. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to FFS at ALA

*All available information is given here, please do not call and ask any questions. He really wont be missed by many.

Thanks Madison!

Wall of Honor

jackiehoysted — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 02:53:44 +0000

It has been 14 months now but I have no more cigarettes from donors to create new artwork! When I started this project I was sure I would receive many but it isn’t an easy thing to do. If anyone would like to send me a last cigarette send it to me I would love to continue to add to my wall of honor. Left to right on the photo – Vicky, Erica, Mary, Jackie (me), Linda & Binshenjit. Congratulations everyone!

Temple for Erica

jackiehoysted — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 12:54:41 +0000

Erica has 7 weeks today – I hope you like the artwork to celebrate that achievement. Once again I used the temple format, used the gauze, bells, nails etc as a visual language to describe the experience of quitting i.e. one of celebration , death (of old habits, dependancies, beliefs), healing and renewal, with temptation always lurking around.

How do you make someone’s day?

jackiehoysted — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 23:11:01 +0000

Erica made my day! Today I received a new cigarette in the mail from a new buddy from The American Lung Association. I had no idea that Erica had sent it and of course I was thrilled. Her package was wonderful and I especially liked the card that she wrote on.

Erica – stay strong and hang in – you WILL do it and thank you so much!

10 Tips for a Successful Quit

jackiehoysted — Fri, 28 Dec 2007 15:57:33 +0000

The New Year is approaching and it is a time when many people will make a resolution to stop smoking and I thought it was appropriate for me to write some of the lessons I learned from this quit.

Educate yourself about nicotine addiction and withdrawal. Visit the American Lung Association, whyquit.com and quitsmokingonline.com. Read about smoking: I read Allen Carr’s book “The Easy Way to Quit Smoking”.
Have a plan! Some people can just decide they are quitting smoking and drop that last packet into a dustbin somewhere and never smoke again. There are others, like me, who are highly addicted and while I might throw the pack in the dustbin they’ll probably be resurrected within a short time. If you are addicted have a plan.
Know yourself. If you have tried to quit before what caused you to go back smoking? Should you avoid alcohol, coffee etc for a little while? Should you avoid situations where there are a lot of people smoking? You are the key to your success!
Treat your plan like a contract. Set your quit date and stick to it. Let your friends and health care professionals know about your plan.
Don’t be afraid to ask for support from your friends, family, acquaintances whatever. If you can, talk about how you feel. Start a blog, keep a diary whatever – it really helps to get those feelings out. Join a support group such as the American Lung Association- the people there understand what you may be experiencing and they will help you along.
Constantly educate yourself about the ill effects of nicotine to keep your guard up. I go to whyquit.com to reinforce my resolve to stay quit.
Treat your quit date as if it is the most important day in your life. Because it is!-
Be kind to yourself and plan rewards. Quitting is tough so be prepared to indulge yourself a little to help you through the first few weeks.
Maintain a good attitude. Use positive reinforcement “Yes You Can Quit!
Plan on Staying Quit. A lot of people quit for a short period and revert back to smoking. You have to work at maintaining your quit so don’ let your guard down after the first few months. Recognize that you are an addict and you can never have another ONE!!