Hi all.......I am 53 years old and have become recently disabled (not debilitating just enough that I can't work something I have done since I was 12), I was married for 18 years, but am no longer. I raised 4 kids, the oldest is 32 never married but with 2 children he is bi-polar and has decided that the family is not to be a part of his life. So not much a part of my life. My daughter is 29 and married with one child of her own and 2 step children, they both work full time and I babysit the youngest one day a week sometimes 2. I also have twin son 27 one is married with 2 children which I babysit 4 days a week + because my son works full time and my daughter-in-law goes to school full time. The other twin works part time and is in school full time. I see him often but he smokes allot ofmarijuana and since the other twin and I have a mother daughter and does not want thataround (can't blame him) it causes allot of friction. So here I am retired in an empty nest a young 53 babysitting is nice but now its all I have I was always the lady in charge the matriarch. Now not only do I have no one to take care of but in addition this will be the first year that I am not running the holidays which used to have lots of functions arranged by me and all the meals cooked by me and everyone came to my house, they will all be doing their own things at their houses. I am at a loss as to what to do with myself and depression is setting in..... Any thoughts:) Thanks all JoyView Thread