Staying the Course

Today marks three weeks since last I had a cigarette. Altogether the journey has been a rough one, but after twenty-one days of anxiety and doubt and determination, the path grows ever more smooth. The shadow of temptation that haunted my steps and threatened to surge forth with overwhelming fury during moments of weakness has dissipated to the point where it no longer elicits fear. It is now but an occasional annoyance, a barking dog in the distance that soon falls back to sleep.