Hello Everyone:
Just wanted to check in and say hello. I haven*t been on the board lately due to the death of my mother one-week ago today. As a couple of you knew, we discovered late last Spring that she had lung cancer.
My mother was a wonderful woman who raised my sister and I alone after our father died at the very young age of 38 (now over 40 years ago). Her love, strength and devotion to family got us through some very tough emotional times. Needless to say, the three of us have remained very close. A year ago she appeared to be in very good health and barely looked her 76 years. As a matter of fact, one year ago exactly she was helping me through my own bout with cancer. In the early months of the year she was still able to walk a mile around an indoor track at a fitness club in something like 10 minutes. Then, one day on a trip to visit a relative she coughed up some blood.
Even before the doctors diagnosed her, my sister and I both knew that her 50+ years of smoking had caught up with her. I know many of you out there in my age group who had parents who were young in the 40*s and 50*s, have some understanding of the era of the socially acceptable cigarette. It was cool, everyone did it, and very few questioned it. They were hawked on television as a 'great way to relax', constantly endorsed by celebrities and nearly always present in films ~ smoked by the good, the bad, the ugly as well as the glamorous. Looking back, it*s hard to believe, but when my mother became pregnant for the first time (for me circa 1954) and she questioned whether or not she should continue smoking she actually quoted the doctor as having said something to the effect, 'No need to quit now.' Can you believe it? By the time people began revolting against the idea and the anti-smoking campaigns hit television in the 1960s, she and so many others were hooked. Over the years my sister and I literally begged her to stop. She made a few attempts but, unlike several friends and relatives, was never successful. I know she wanted to stop. But, even when people she knew died of lung cancer she kept going. The best she was able to do was to become more sensitive and aware of 2nd hand smoke. She began to either go outside or to a patio door to 'puff' (as we referred to it) when non-smokers were around. Still, I cringed almost every time I saw her light up and at the same time I hoped against hope that it would never catch up with her. But, it finally did.
I don*t mean to be preachy or depressing by mentioning all this. I bring it up only because, for what it*s worth, I wanted to present this real life example of the result of what the tobacco companies have been allowed to get by with. I know she made the decision to smoke and I know she took the responsibility for it. You can only blame part of it on the social acceptability of the habit in the era in which she started. But, it is still a substance that creates an addiction on which the greedy, soulless tobacco industry is unfortunately still becoming fat and wealthy. And, regardless of how much they protest to the contrary we all know they continue to try and pull teenagers into their web. After all, my mother*s generation has just about played out for them. So, if these mega-industries are to keep going, not unlike vampires, they MUST continuously have new blood.
So, what I really want to do is to strongly encourage those of you who smoke to PLEASE consider trying really hard to quit. And, if you are young and considering it PLEASE think again and help run these scum bag parasites out of business. It may take many years or just a few but somehow, in some way tobacco will take its toll on you or someone you dearly love. And, as much as I*ve enjoyed all of your online company I would really hate to see this happen to any of you!
God bless and take care,
CastleBee
