Dear Me Letters
Dear Lisa.
Ah...another Monday, and quiting smoking has yet to become a reality. I am mad at you! You said you would do it, could do it..but you still havent! Why is it so hard to do this? I love smoking but I am coming to hate it too.
The money, energy, and time wasted on smoking. All of these things I am afraid to give up??? For what? If only I could realize that quiting smoking is NOT the end of the world, it is only the begining of a cleaner, healthier, brighter future. So when am I going to finally do it???? Hopefully after this pack.
Lisa, Federal Way, WA
Dear Me, I am 27 years old and have been smoking half my life. I have a lot of pain and resentment toward myselfe for starting. The longest amount of time I have gone without a ciggarett was wile I was in Marine Corps bootcamp, (13 weeks). The first thing I did apon graduation was light up. I worked hard to become addicted agian. This I regret. I have tried to quit 15 or 20 times since then, and have failed every time. The bad thing is that every time I fail, I get more and more unsure if I can do it. After reading the booklet from the quitline, I am able to reflect on why I have failed and what I can do different next time. I can also start to look at my failers as learning experiances, and know that my 15 20 attempts mean I am motovated. I have the tools, I can use them. Although like many people, parts of my past have told me that I dont deserve things like health and happiness, I know that I cant let my yesterdays decide what I do today. You deserve this. Dont look back. Love Me
Shelly, Pittsburgh Pa
dear me, why do you smoke. you have quit smoking 3 TIMES!!! its disgusting and it grosses me out every time i take a drag off a cigarette. You have 4 children that depend on you and you are no good to them if you get cancer and die! so why is so hard to quit and stay away from cigarettes?
Jaime, Denver, CO
Dear Peter,
You can quit smoking and it will be easier than you think. It starts will a small willingness to do it, a first step. Take a step every Monday until you succeed!
You know how demoralizing it is now, feeling that you cannot quit. You feel guilty of hurting your wife in the future. You feel like you will soon lose your front teeth and the bridge of three teeth used for chewing. The other side is already gone.
Imagine what you could do with $55.00 a week! Put it aside for investment.
Our relationship is in many ways stuck, due to lack of surplus money, lazy habits and lack of real, everyday goals. Both of us could benefit from the inspiration of my quitting. Menchie might be inspired to control her weight. She might feel capable of getting her license. It would be great for her ego as well as mine to say, “We did it!”
After quitting I might really have more focus and confidence about my career future. Why not apply for financial aid and take ESL training? Because I have habits of wasting time, money and energy: smoking is the symbol of these. Kill the gang leader and the whole gang of bad habits becomes weak. To be smoke free would feel like real existential freedom, real power to change our lives and make our dreams come true.
So Peter, be the good guy whom you know you Can Be. Take one step after another, starting with keeping track of your smoking habit. Then make the plan. Then print it and share it with M and call the quit coach. Keep growing the commitment. Get the Chantix. Cut way back on smoking. Exercise at home. Drink water and eat enough. Then quit. Do these things one at a time. Take one step each day. Each step is easy, as you know. It just takes a willingness to do it.
The step that you like is to actually exercise at the gym, not only use the steam room. You also like exercising at home, which you can do for a few minutes before “the next task” whatever that may be. Be kind enough to yourself to take the time to exercise at home and at the gym. There is no way that Menchie can reasonably oppose this. Then wait out the first urge to smoke for at least a half-hour after exercise, saying “I will smoke at (name the time). Use that waiting time to identify and commit to the next quit-smoking step for that day. Deal?
It's a deal!
Peter, Seattle
Dear me,
it has been 11 days and no cigarettes......i have supplemented with nicorette gum. horraay for me, right? today i am weak....should i buy cigs or gum. I miss my best friend that is slowly killing me. I LOVE to smoke. Acknowleding this i WILL NOT SMOKE TODAY. Why? I will have to start this whole process over again....I WANT TO BE A NON SMOKER......I am cranky, i am sad...but the gum is helping to keep me from caving in
i will be strong today and i will not buy cigs,,,instead i will buy something else for me. i will walk, excercise and spend time with non smoking friends.
love me
mary, warren, ohio
Dear Me,
You have thought about this over and over. It is hard for you to breathe just doing the simplest of tasks. I know you are afraid of gaining more weight, but in the end isn’t it better to be a little fatter than have lung cancer like your recently diagnosed father?
Do it for your husband. It will be easier to quit now rather than when you find out you are pregnant.
Do it for your little sister – she cannot handle to lose 2 people in her life to lung cancer. She would be devastated.
Think of how you felt when you found out about dad… do you want people to feel bad and cry for you because you made poor choices and continued smoking??
We know this needs to happen, you can’t keep living life as a smoker. Cancer obviously runs in the family between mom and dad. We can beat this!
Sharla, Tacoma, Washington
Dears,
My name Jassim my birthday July 05 1975 I started smoking since 1990 many times I tried to leave the smoking but I can’t I need your help to Quit and I heard about your program and many people the quite because of you support and I have many reason to quite first of all my health Make my teeth and nails yellow also Make my cloth, body, hair and breath smell pretty bad and a lot of reason
Jassim
Jassim, Kennwick, WA
Dear Me, When you were six, your dad passed away from a smoking related disease, your mother has smoked all your life, you have seen her go to the hospital because she smokes and even after constantly asking her to stop, she still smokes today. After all of this how can you still put yourself through smoking. You know the dangers, you know the cost. The children at work tell you smell like smoke, they ask you to play tag and you cant for longer then 5 minutes because you get tired, your favorite thing to do is sing camp songs and you cant finish most of them because your out of breath. How can you lie to children telling them you dont smoke and telling them how bad it is for you. You get aggitated at work and take it out the children because you need a ciggarette. Is that fair to them. Lets quit, we can do this. No body can me quit but me. I love you. Love, Me
Marci , Kent, Wa
Dear Me,
You are 29 years old and have been smoking for 17 years. You cannot believe this habit has taken control of your life. When you are happy, you smoke. When you are sad, you smoke. When you are buzzed, tired, grumpy, satisfied, hungry, full, etc. you smoke. You smoke at home, at work, in the truck, and everywhere else you go. You stress out when you travel for work. Why? Because you are stuck on long flights unable to smoke! That is pathetic!!!
You watched your biological father die of his second bout with lung cancer at the young age of 52. He left behind two teenage half-siblings and now it is too late for you to ever really get to know him. You stepped outside of his funeral to have a cigarette...what is your problem!?!?! Sure, after you witnessed firsthand the death smoking will bring, you quit smoking...but restarted 3 weeks later.
Times are financially tough right now. Your long-term relationship ended and you are strapped moving back to a single income. Yet, you will scrap together money or even worse, go charge a carton of cigarettes on your credit card. Why are you doing this us?!?!? You could save at least $180 a month if you would just quit smoking. That is money you cannot afford to throw away on something that is killing you!
SMOKING CONSUMES YOU.
You smoked your LAST cigarette last night at 8 p.m. You felt like garbage not too long after. In withdrawals, you tossed and turned all night. Today you have a headache and cannot focus at work but you know what, you also feel GOOD taking back control of your life. You are strong, you are resilient, you are determined, and you are stubborn. Look in the mirror everyday and remind yourself that you are stronger than nicotine. You are too beautiful and smart to keep smoking. Kick this habit! Tonight, walk the dogs! Get rid of the butts and ashtrays on the back patio. You have already saved money by not stopping to get a pack this morning. LOVE YOURSELF AND BE A POSITIVE INFLUENCE ON THE SMOKERS YOU KNOW.
Remember to breathe!!!
I LOVE YOU VANESSA, YOU CAN DO THIS
Vanessa, Federal Way, WA
Dear Me,
you are only 19 years old, and you have been smoking for 7years!! That is the stupidest thing ever!!!! You are going to die before you reach 40. You have pre cancerous cells on your cervix due to HPV
ready to quit!! FOR GOOD!!
