Fulfilling a long-made promise

My wife and I met three years ago today. I was a smoker then and have been almost the whole time, until today.

I had long ago promised that I would quit once she became pregnant. I have smoked for 10 years (since I was 16) and whilst I don't blame anyone but myself, being the child of two parents who smoked did make it seem less bad than I think it is.

I'd always vowed that I wouldn't be a smoking parent, largely because of an ad the Quit organisation ran about 10 years ago, where a little boy is watching a video from his younger years, with him and his father in it. The dad is smoking, mucking around with his kid. The song 'Cats in the Cradle' plays over the top, and it becomes clear that the father died of a smoking-related health issue and left his boy fatherless.

Really stayed with me that one, so today I started on the patches and down the path to better health and a longer life with my family.