Is this all there is?

I'm inclined to agree, dottilind. This is the bit I find most odd:

"And finally, if you can afford it (and you can), go and live in the southern hemisphere for the UK winters."

Who are you addressing, PPP? I don't see how you can assume that all or any of us can afford to just up sticks and go abroad every winter...

dottilind have a huge (((hug))) and stick with gransnet .

dottilind: I'm so sorry that all your dreams of the life you were going to spend together can't be fulfilled. Of course, you will never forget your dear partner but I hope that one day the pain gets becomes easier to bear. I'm sure everyone here wishes only the best for you.

dottilind I lost my husband 10 years ago next month. I am 68 and disabled.
When I'm not working or on a cruise I also can feel very lonely and down.
I fing GN a godsend! People do honestly not mean to patronise you. They are trying to help.
Stay with us. Please!

dottilind, we are a truly caring community on G'net. So please don't let one poster make you feel patronised. It is still early days for you in the process of grieving, so don't try to make too many changes yet and remember we are here for you.

dottilind - don't give up on gransnet - people on here really do care. When you are grieving it is hard to make plans and I am sure we all understand that - so hard for you.

Life will come together for you I am sure - but it will be a different life from the one you had both planned. Different does not mean it cannot be good in its own way. You just need some time.

Have you tried contacting CRUSE? - http://www.crusebereavementcare.org.uk/
They might be a good listening ear to help you over this sad patch in your life.

Sending love and kind thoughts.

I really want to thanks you all from the bottom of my heart for all your lovely and careing comments, I certainly will not be leaving GN and cannot wait to find my way around. I feel that I am not alone now and know I alway have friends on here. Thankyou all for your kindness. xxxxx

dottilind xxx

dottilind you will always find someone to talk to on here.

Yippee

I could have easily felt like this but I had to give up my job at the church coffee centre on Friday afternoons because I injured a back muscle. I went into the local school instead once a week to listen to children read etc. They told me how they loved poems written with rhyme, with rhythm and with lots of stories (exactly what I liked when I was a child). I'd never written poetry before, or gone to a creative writing course, but in the last five years (or just over), I've written well over 1000 new poems, built five websites to accommodate them - and the hardest thing was getting illustrations for the website. I've had poems chosen in their hundreds by teachers in schools all over our region, and have now over 20 books that go out to schools worldwide. My main website carried my poems into 188 countries of the world last year and I often get letters from teachers and children - - - well many every day. If you come to my main website (Google JOSIE'S POEMS) and fancy trying your hand at writing poetry, go to my main website and you will see a link. I do hope you have a go. You never know what you can do unless someone (in my case a class of six year olds) encourage you. Do come and say hello in my guestbook and you'll see teachers from all over the world write there. I'd love a grandparent to write - - - but, please, above all else, do buy a couple of my books and I'll make your grandchild's school members of the website on which the books are. They'll be so grateful because then they can enter the children in my performance poetry competitions and that is great fun. Try this for a change.

Why are elderly people obsessed with keeping busy,if I am not busy then I must be lonely and if I am lonely then I am unhappy, not a bit.I have been on my own now for 5 years or so, initially my first instincts was to replace what I lost and met up with religious zelates,women who acted like they were 20 years younger than they were and others with more family baggage than Emelda Markos.I am happy to be on my own
What I had for 47 years was fantastic and can not be replicated,pain is good for the soul,I am never depressed but I do often have pain over what I have lost.I dont mean to sound self centered and I do have the support of a good family who care but I will not worry about what others think of me.