I am doing STORYWORTH – down MEMORY LANE. When I was young, my Mom, who was the only female with 4 brothers, used to entertain her brothers and their families for FAMILY DINNERS.

Sometimes, all 4 and their families would come and sometimes just a couple. My Mom was a good cook and they knew that they would be fed well! All their wives were good cooks, too, but my Mom, as the only sister for these guys, was pretty special and they all adored her. Mom was the glue that held the family together.

People didn’t come bringing food in those days. The host and hostess did it all! Out came the good dishes and the goblets and the good silverware, too! OOPS! I almost forgot the 昀ne tablecloths – too – white ones on Sundays!

Sometimes, planning for an event is so much work and so much fun, that the event is almost anticlimactic! NOT FOR MOM’S DINNERS!

We kids not only ate the food – WE ALSO ATE UP THE CONVERSATIONS! We didn’t ask to be excused so we could go out to play. Each brother would try to one-up the others! The love and the laughter were music to our ears! It was a more simple time but we were HAPPY!

My Mom smoked cigarettes but I didn’t know that until I was 21 years old. She had to smoke the same cigarettes as my Dad. If she had a cigarette, Dad didn’t. Then, if someone came to the door or if my brothers and I came downstairs, Dad simply took the cigarette from Mom. I tell you, my Dad truly loved my Mom because Dad didn’t like to see women smoking! They were true SOULMATES before the term was invented!

I was 16 when I started smoking but I think I was 21 before Dad knew. He wasn’t happy about it but I was his only daughter and he loved me! POOR MAN!

What does this have to do with the price of tea in China, you say? Well, really nothing, except it is good for all of us to reminisce once in awhile! I have asked you to reminisce with me. If you are a smoker, I ask you to do your own reminiscing! Go back to how you started this habit. It may help and it may not help – but it will have you thinking ! It’s a process!

There are a multitude of reasons to quit smoking but you have to 昀nd your own reason – no one can do it for you! We are captains of our own ships! When I quit smoking – believe me – it wasn’t because someone preached to me about it. In fact, it worked the opposite! I made a commitment not to do any preaching. Some of you may know that, in my former life, I was a schoolteacher, so I said to myself – well, you didn’t say you wouldn’t try some teaching. You can take the teacher out of the classroom – but you can’t take the teaching out of the teacher – woman or man! So I will never quit trying. I have a decorative pillow on my bed that says: SHE THOUGHT SHE COULD, SO SHE DID. I like that – it keeps me going!

I became a NON-SMOKER on VALENTINE’S DAY, 2000! I s it time for you to pick a date? My goal, since I started this yearly post, is to help someone quit this habit! If I just help one person, I will be a happy camper! If you think it would help to talk to someone, feel free to call me – 651-226-4270.

From my heart, until next year, The ex-smoker and Grandma.

Gerri Lundby