7 Years

7 years ago today I quit using chewing tobacco. I started using chewing tobacco in high school when some of the Juniors and Seniors on our hockey team made it seem kind of cool and harmless. By the time I was done with high school I used chewing tobacco everyday. In my mind it was better than smoking because it didn't get the stinky smoke smell in everything and I could pretty much do it anywhere and no one would know (school, work, etc). To this day I rank quitting chewing tobacco very high on my list of personal accomplishments.
However, it did come at a price. 7 years ago today is the same day my Mom called and told me that she had cancer. She had a lump on her neck and chest and her biopsy confirmed it was cancerous.  Later it was determined that she had lung cancer. She smoked for approximately 30 years and wouldn't stand a chance against this monster. She wouldn't last long. The next 17 days would be some of the hardest and saddest days of my life.