If anyone needs help or wants someone to talk to, don't be afraid.

I started smoking around 16 years old. I hid from my parents until I was 18. I thought it was cool being a smoker. I thought that I could quit at any time. Then I couldn’t. I tried and tried. I would get stressed out and needed a smoke. My fiancé and I decided in August of 2016 that we’d had enough. Tired of always smelling like cigarettes, we got tired of being with our friends because we were the only ones who smoked and they didn’t like to be around it. We wanted something better. He wanted to be healthier and breathe better. I wanted to quit because I want to be a mother and didn’t want to have to try to quit once I find out I’m pregnant. I wanted to get my body ready so when the time comes, everything will be ready. I still do get urges to smoke. That never goes away. One day it was so bad that I just couldn’t take it. So I lit up a cigarette. So gross! Of course I finished it, but I have not picked up another one since. I sat there thinking to myself, “That taste? Yuck! You tasted that, and your breathe smells like that. That feeling? Headache, buzz. Not fun anymore, is it? Now smell your clothes. Remember that smell? Do you want to go back to smelling like an ashtray?” Since I have stopped smoking, I can breathe better ,and it’s more clear now. I can smell people who smoke now more so than before. When I get really stressed out, I use a color-by-numbers book for adults. I absolutely love color by numbers. It keeps my mind going. I also bought Mandalas coloring book for adults too. Trust me. I told myself I would never quit because I loved smoking. It calmed my nerves. But I knew if I ever wanted to expand my family, it had to start with us. If anyone needs help or wants someone to talk to, don’t be afraid. Talk with someone! We listen! We have been there!