Wife Writes Note to Husband in Cigarette Packet, He Does Something About It

A North Carolina man sharing a touching gesture from his wife has led to an outpouring of support which prompted him to quit smoking.

Mark, not his real name, shared a post on Reddit’s r/MadeMeSmile subreddit, featuring a sweet surprise left by his wife inside his cigarette pack during one of his early morning work shifts.

Inside the packet were two simple but heartfelt notes: “I love you! I just wanted to tell you” and “I miss you when you are gone. Love, Becky.” The man explained that his wife has always been thoughtful, leaving little notes around the house or his workplace, but this was the first note since they had relocated to the East Coast. It came as a much-needed surprise during a 5:30 a.m. shift and instantly lifted his spirits.

“It was quite a sweet surprise and it really lifted my spirits,” Mark told Newsweek. “My wife’s thoughtful note genuinely put a smile on my face, and I wanted to be able to show it to the world.”

What he wasn’t expecting was the surge of comments that would come, not just praising his wife’s sweet note, but urging him to quit smoking. The post quickly gained more than 30,000 upvotes and over 1,000 comments.

“Was gonna say something snarky about you smoking, but… seriously, please quit. Clearly, your wife adores you. Do yourself and her that favor. You’ll be so glad you did. Life is good; don’t sabotage yourself,” said user Windflower1956.

Another commenter, MyLastHopeReddit, said: “She seems like the kind of person for whom it would be worth quitting smoking to live longer.”

These were just two comments of many urging Mark to quit the cigarettes, sharing their own anecdotes and advice for giving up.

Though his wife had gently encouraged him to quit smoking in the past, the wave of support from strangers has inspired Mark to finally take the plunge.

“It’s been approximately 72 hours since I posted my wife’s note, and I’m 48 hours nicotine-free because of all the support and concern I felt coming from the community on Reddit,” he said. He described the experience as humbling, saying it felt like standing in a crowded room with everyone cheering him on.

Now, with the love of his wife and the support of the Reddit community behind him, he’s on a new journey to live a smoke-free life, and what began as a thoughtful note has become so much more.

“I feel like I’m not alone, like this is possible, like I have people that care outside of my family,” Mark said.