Anon 738 - Yeah, that sadness/depressed cloud came and tried to blanket a lot of us here. For me, it was just another ploy of the addiction to get me to pick-up a smoke and fill the "emptiness." It passed for me and I ask that you take it an hour at a time and keep moving forward. That said, please know you're not alone.

Grumps, I hear you. I've spent a lifetime making sure my brothers kept dodging bullets and the street and now, as a father, ensuring my kids are always loved, considered, and safe. And while I do much to facilitate my physical (quitting smoking being one of the largest), emotional and spiritual well-being on a daily basis, it doesn't come naturally to me. I was never taught how to do it, didn't see it modeled, and there's a seeming block to the intuitive process we all possess. I think what you wrote is so true, Grumpy. It's time for us to take care of ourselves. To cherish the gift of life within us. To recognize the magnificence that is ever-present and closer than the breath in our nostrils. I know we're worth it. And you proved it yesterday by not smoking. Good for you.

Thanks, as always, for the vital link, CHL.