DEAR ABBY: This is in response to "Anti-Smoker in St. Louis." If she loves her grandchildren enough, perhaps she will stop smoking. Here's what happened to me:
When my first granddaughter was born, I knew I would not be able to smoke near her. When I baby-sat, even in my own home, I went outside to smoke. I didn't want the baby to inhale my smoke. But I kept smoking for many more years even though my family pleaded with me to stop.
One day as I lit yet another cigarette, my young granddaughter asked me if I was ever going to stop smoking, and my daughter-in-law told her to stop nagging me. She said it was my business if I wanted to smoke and that "on your wedding day, your aunt can sit in the seat that Gram should have sat in."
That did it! After smoking for more than 30 years, I signed up for a stop-smoking class at a local hospital and haven't smoked for five years. Now I have four granddaughters and am looking forward to all of their weddings. -- CLAUDETTE BRADLEY, HAMPTON, N.H.