Anonymous wrote:I used to (and maybe will again), but after watching my 75 year old mother putter around her very clean and beautiful condo for the past 20 months following my dad’s death, I now think it will be really lonely.
My mom has no plans most days. Her fridge is almost all condiments and random soups. She doesn’t cook or entertain and has no hobbies except spying on the other people in her condo development. 😬 She has some friends but they all still have spouses or kids nearby, so she only sees them for a few hours every week total. I asked her how she spends her days. She said she wakes up at 6AM and the reads in her sunroom for several hours. At 4:30PM she moves to the living room and watches British TV until she gets tired at around 9. She’s a wealthy widow and will live in comfort but she’s clearly very lonely. I just visited her for 5 days and she never stopped talking—she was so happy to have company again. One of my siblings lives in her town and invites her to holiday gatherings and takes care of her if she needs help but they have their own family, busy jobs, etc.
I will say that I was jealous that her house was spotless despite not having been cleaned in 4 weeks (she was recovering from surgery and couldn’t clean)!
Anonymous wrote:I just fantasize about my DH leaving the house. He is always here. I feel like I live with a disabled person.
Anonymous wrote:I fantasize about this multiple times a day

Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Newly divorced with elementary/ middle school kids. I do miss the kids when they aren’t here, but there are maybe 3-4 days every month where I wouldn’t see them at all — every other day I either have them or see them at least a little bit. The time I do have off is golden. I kept the house and am redoing it how I like it. It’s so peaceful and nice.
I thought the divorce would be a nightmare, but I am living every mom’s dream.
Ngl, having a few child-free days per month would be amazing for my health, home projects, self care, etc. My divorced friends with good coparenting relationships lead much more balanced lives because they have more time to focus on themselves, work, etc.
-Parent of 2 kids