Holiday stress and those less fortunate

Hi guys. I know I'm a newbie,(12 days) but it's funny how grateful you get in a short period of time. Like many people in these weeks around the holidays,Herbal cigarettes, I am flying all over town, trying to complete my tasks, and navigate through the stressed out crowds that inhabit the roads and stores right now. The thing I noticed, was at every light in traffic, no matter how cold it is, you see cars with big puffs of smoke coming out of the window. Outside of all the businesses and stores, you see poeple standing around in the cold, many of them woman dressed for work, not outside weather, smoking. The common denominator I noticed was, none of them look happy. Not the people stopped at the red light, not the people huddled outside the doors, and certainly not the spouse kicked outside in the cold rain or snow because he or she has to feed their addiction. How awesome is it to not have to feel that desperate nagging at your brain telling you that time is about up and you have to go quench your need for nicotine? How great is it to walk up to people and talk to them warmly and closely without worrying that your clothes and breath smell like an ashtray? How lucky we all are to not have to exit our warm dry home for the stupid reason of inhaling nicotine? And for me, I am so extraordinarily lucky to not have to look my kids in the eye and have them know that I am putting their financial and emotional well being in jeopardy by risking my death, all so I can keep feeding a disease. My thanks go out to all the fine people here,(even the power hungry woman, Iquit42,smoking cessation,LOL) for being available in my/our time of need. I like to THINK I'm a tough guy, but I can't even begin to match the power of this board that I think/know is inspired by a power much, much greater than ourselves.