Article August 31, 1974 Issue

When Others Smoke

DOROTHY J. SEELEY

Nonsmokers, are you completely free from the smoking habit? What is your reaction when you are with others who smoke or when you are in a smoke-filled area? What is your reaction when a close relative smokes? Are you sad, annoyed, resentful, or self-righteous? To those who are trying to overcome the smoking habit for themselves or others, Christian Science offers a way to regain and maintain joy and peace of mind. It offers the way to be completely free.

My husband was a very heavy cigarette smoker. This did not bother him, but it surely did bother me. I thought it a filthy habit, not a good example for our children, nor good for him. I tried everything I could think of to get him to stop. My nagging at him was frequent. However, nothing I or the children said on the subject influenced him at all. He had no desire to stop smoking. He enjoyed it. All that happened was that I became obsessed with loathing the very thought of his smoking. I was constantly annoyed, frustrated, and irritable. In fact I became so disturbed that I went to see a Christian Science practitioner to see if she could think of some way we could get him to stop.

After listening to my story the practitioner quietly said, "You're the one who needs to be healed of the smoking habit." And she reminded me of Christ Jesus' response when his disciple, Peter, was concerned about what was going to happen to a friend: "What is that to thee? follow thou me."^{John 21:22;}

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