Breathing Happy Author

Trial and Error

My name is Amber and I am 23 years old. That picture above is of my husband and I. We have 4 beautiful children together. Our family consists of three little men and one little princess. They are 4 years old, 2 years old, 1 year old and six months old.

I am a smoker and I have been one since I was thirteen years old. I was pushed into smoking by two cousins of mine. As it turns out, family can be just as persuasive as your best friend. Family sometimes is much worse,  because they are supposed to love you.

Well I started because of them, and I have been smoking ever since. My entire family, the women at least, have no teeth.

I am now missing five teeth on top and one on bottom. I currently have stitches in the bottom part of my mouth. I just recently got all of these pulled. This included my front teeth. I am now wearing partial dentures. I have been told by family that it is because of having kids so close together.

I, however, do not think this is true. Perhaps this affected my dental health a little, but I"m quite certain that smoking has caused this problem for me. I no longer feel as pretty as I once did. I do not think I look as young as I really am, thanks to smoking. My mother is only 42 years old and she looks as if she is 65. This is no joke.

I have been reading up on some advice and tips on quitting. I have already lost some of my teeth, but I would like to keep what I do have. I want to be healthier for my children and my husband. They deserve me, and they deserve to have me around for a while. I do not want to go out the way my grandmother did.

My grandmother passed away having to be on oxygen and other medications. I already have asthma, and I do not want to add to that. I hope I have encouraged someone somewhere to quit with this blog. I am trying my hardest to quit myself.

Support to Help you Quit

Share your personal stories

Decided to quite smoking? You've made it through a long way.

Think you can do it all alone? You are not quite right.

Smoking cessation is easier said than done and you need the support of the people around you. Do not feel scared of failure. You'll fail. Again and again. Then one day, you'll succeed.

1) Take support from family and friends: tell them you want to quit. They'll be more than happy to help you out.

2) Get support from therapists and counselors: there are plenty of counselors out there who are there especially to help you kick the habit.

3) Take your physician into confidence: There are ways to quite smoking. Some drugs may help. Or so may a chewing gum in place of the cigar. Your physician can definitely help you out.

There are many different types of support. Someone can help you through their positive words or encouragement. Or maybe through counseling or prescribing medication. But one thing's for sure. You can do it, but you can't do it alone.

Read This if You Hate Yourself

Have you ever walked barefoot on soft and slippery mud, and had the soles of your feet pierced by the wonderfully beautiful bougainvillea thorn?

Have you ever gritted your teeth in pain as a hundred or maybe even a thousand fire ants, crawled inside your clothes, biting you from within with no recourse for you but to lose your mind forcing yourself not to shout at what fate has brought you?

If not, then ladies and gentlemen, I’d like you to meet pain.  Read more

Making A List Will Be The Best Thing You Do

I’d like to share one of the most amazing messages I’ve heard. I’ll tell you why this message below is important. It touches on letting you know that ‘yes’ you do have a choice, even though your seeking help nobody is forcing you to change. That your parents aren’t using their parental power to shape your bad habits, but your decisions are your own hardships. Realizing that outside help won’t be the reason you change. Things like support groups, or counseling… Oh they will have crucial impact on your decision, influence, hope, strength; you get all of this from outside help. But what’s inside is stronger than anything imaginable, if you really consider the repercussions and make a conscious decision not to smoke then I believe you will quit sooner than you think. Once you really prioritize the repercussions, you’ve won the battle. We fight for what we stand for, if you are a family man, put family first. If you are an athlete put your body first. See where I am going? It starts by>>>>>>> “MAKING A LIST”

• Putting the people you love at the top

• Next put your legs

• Kidney

• Heart

Now cross of all the things you’re okay with losing because you’d rather smoke.

Wise wisdom from a man named Billy.

My Grandmother

My grandmother was my best friend. She was an amazing woman that would do anything for anyone. On February 6, 2013 she passed away from cancer at 70 years old. She has smoked since she was about 16 years old. When she got to be about 55 she was on oxygen continuously. She slowly Read more

Trapped: Stop Controlling My Life!

With chains I am bound, to a destiny of toil, bondage and servitude to an unseen master. They who have the power to alter the course of this lifestream has a chokehold on my life. Oftentimes, they grip it with talons as sharp as an eagle’s. I turn purple as I grasp for air, trying to clutch that Read more

Maybe Tomorrow: Quitting and The Procrastinating Diva

I am what you call a professional procrastinator. Unfortunately, it has been that way since I was just little diaper clad diva of four who would much rather have smeared my finger paint on the wall than sit down with those boring old letter and number books my parents were always trying to foist Read more

Smoking and Drinking: A Dangerous Cocktail

When you picture people at bars, you see men and women casually smoking AND drinking, right? As the daughter of an alcoholic and a heavy smoker, my heart goes out to the children and spouses of those who indulge in both. Because let’s be realistic, the likelihood that anyone who smokes also drinks is strong. I did not see the correlation as a child or teenager, I just thought of them as separate bad habits. Read more

Sex and the Smoker

It was a hot and steamy evening with no cool breeze whispering its vanity. The echoes of the waves from the beach rhythmically splash as the world sleeps. But somewhere in Havana, some innately natural and distinctly human ritual is happening. Two souls, connected as one, embark on a pristine exploration of their own humanity. Finally, the winds whisper again, and the leaves of a small palm tree swooshes about, tingling and mingling as if they were rolling in laughter.  Read more