Day 29 (and 30, 31 and 32)

So I took a little vacation ...

Here's what I learned about pushing 60 during my holiday visit with family in Ohio:

• No one should ever, ever smoke.
• Smoking will more than likely kill you -- slowly and painfully.
• Smoking will rob you of your breath, your strength.
• The 60s appear to be when the stuff really hits the fan if you are a lifelong smoker.

I have four older brothers, three of whom smoked most of their adult life. Two have quit, but only after their health went south. The third says he's in the process of quitting. That process has been going on since the first of his two heart bypass surgeries.

The brother who never smoked is 70. He's in good shape. In fact, he's in better shape than any of his three younger brothers. He does not gloat about this. It's just too sad to see the damage cigarettes have done to people he loves. People I love.

We lost our dad to lung cancer and heart disease just after he turned 69. I hope ALL my brothers make it to 70 -- and well beyond that.