Minutes after reading this moving piece by Gian Turci, http://www.forces.org/Forces_Articles/article_printer.php?id=1 ,I got a call from my mother in law with news that one of her best friends had died.
A lifelong smoker, she was found sitting at her computer with a cigarette in her hand. It had burned down to the tip and extinguished. She was 67. Whether she died as a result of a "smoking related illness" doesn't really matter as I am sure her death will be put down to that.
The words in Gian's piece suddenly came to my mind : "death reminds us to celebrate life ... just remember to enjoy it as freely and intensely as you can. How long it lasts doesn't matter, for it is just lightening in the dark. Make it a bright one."
Gian certainly did. He is immortal because his wise words, I am sure, will run through generations and his passion lifts the soul.
My mother-in-law's friend was just as bright to those people who knew and loved her.
As for me, maybe I'll die younger than is "acceptable" these days or maybe I'll be one of those people over a 100 years old in a nursing home recounting the reasons for my long life being two ounces of tobacco a week.
Whatever fate lies in store for me, smoking is still my choice despite the risks associated with it. I am committed to my lifestyle and whether I am here for a long or a short time doesn't matter. What really counts is what I do with the time I have got and I intend to use it well.
What is also important is that my life isn't made miserable by the health fanatics who just don't seem to get that there is so much more to life than longevity.