Daily prizes

3 years, 4 months, 6 days ago there was serious concern that I wouldn't live to see today (my 69th birthday) or any of the other things I can now celebrate. Things like a glorious sunrise, a beautiful sunset, the sound of the rain softly falling around me, a telephone call from one of my sons just touching base, an E-Mail from one of my grand-daughters telling me I am now a great-grandfather for the first time. 53 years of getting too cozy with Nicotine almost cost me these joys on July 12, 2012 at 2:30am when I had a massive heart attack as a direct result of an artery blocked by nicotine. Quitting nicotine cold-turkey after 53 years has allowed me my latest joy of holding my great-granddaughter Matilda for the first time.

Day-to-day life keeps handing me more reasons to keep on track and stay quit. Reasons like the warmth of the sun on my face, the soft glow of a sunset, a shooting star to make a wish on, the giggle my granddaughter tries to hold onto so tightly that turns to laughter as it tumbles out, the warmth of my wife's touch on the back of my neck as she passes by, the smell of new-mown hay at the first cutting of summer, the colors of autumn, the sight of falling snow, the taste of honey fresh from the hive, the song sung by the breeze as it ushers in the summer rains, hearing my granddaughers say "Goodbye Pop. I love you." as we end a surprise phone call. As long as life keeps handing me prizes like these for staying quit, it makes it easy to continue my journey! All I have to do is to think back to how close I came to missing it all!