Harmanie I am so proud of you for helping you Aunt!
Tina, Lizzielou - I'm proud of you, too!

It is not easy, but it IS worth it. My Dad - a long-term smoker who had to walk out of the house and uphill to the garage to smoke when he was home - never even smoked on the porch or when or where we kids could see him. He knew how bad it was for him, an asthmatic, and never wanted us to pick up the habit. (He started smoking when he joined the Army at age just-barely 17, when they gave out cigarettes to soldiers! Egads!)

He quit cold turkey about 10-12 years ago. He was going to go the hospital to get a (benign) cyst on his neck removed, and knew he couldn't smoke in the hospital. So a couple weeks ahead, he quit cold turkey. He says now that HE wouldn't have wanted to live with him during those two weeks (doesn't know how Ma stood it, or why the dog didn't bite him!) but has been glad ever since that he did it.

Benefits to quitting smoking (besides the obvious health benefits) that he points out:

1. You can suddenly taste everything so much better. Chocolate becomes more chocolate, tomatoes more tomatoey, etc. etc. It's a pleasure!

2. You smell better to others

3. The world smells better to you

So it may take a little time, and it's not pleasant WHILE you quit, but the rest of your life gets better - in big and small ways - every day afterwards!