I stuck with my diet for four days.

I graduated from a Masters STEM program at age 65 and got straight As! Not even 1 A minus. Did not use AI. Thanks for letting me be openly proud!

Around 2019 I basically had a nervous breakdown. Then covid happened and I was already noped out ... now it's 6 years later. I became extremely isolated and agoraphobic.

For 3 years I have thought about just never renewing my passport because I kept thinking about having to get my picture taken at CVS or Walgreens and having to go to the post office or town hall ... and I have thought this whole time that I would just let my passport lapse.

Yesterday I found out you can actually renew your passport entirely online with digital pictures uploaded ... and I did it. Took me 17 tries to get an acceptable "passport picture" including my going out and lying in the actual snow for a "white background" but finally one take uploaded.

Although I have regular med things going on, it makes me feel optimistic that I have not decided to depart this planet just yet.

I feel very proud of myself that I did that.

Yay OP!

You should be proud of all that you have accomplished, your experience is definitely not typical of women in your situation.

I am proud of you too! 😇

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m proud of you op!!!

I’m proud because I feel like I’m
navigating parenting teens WAY better than I navigated parenting babies/toddlers. I keep my cool during their arguments, and I’m always open to hugs and/or connection when they are in a better mood.

We give them a lot of independence, but the things that are important to our family we are good at having consistent boundaries.

Thanks so much for sharing this - I needed to read this. I am struggling mightily with the toddler phase.

OP, you are amazing! In all seriousness, what advice would you give someone with embarrassingly less on her plate who feels overwhelmed?

My win is much smaller, but after struggling with on and off back issues since high school, I am SO PROUD of myself that after 6 years of working hard on my core strength and overall fitness, I was able to go out four times to shovel snow/ice w DH on Sunday and Monday. I was shocked by how strong I felt and how much I was able to do, and I feel a surge of pride every time I look at our wonderfully clear driveway.

I’m the pp who feels better as a teen parent than a toddler parent. My advice to you is to what I think worked for us—don’t take the easy road. Don’t hand your kid a phone to make the meal easier for you. Don’t give up the fight when you tell your kid to pick up their toys and they push back. Be consistent and confident in the choices you make. Give your kids age appropriate chores—be okay with the product not being perfect at first (ie don’t rush in to do it yourself) because they will learn how to do it well on their own time. Give firm boundaries and LOTS of love and hugs and be silly and don’t be afraid to have uncomfortable conversations. Putting the time and effort in while they are small will pay off in a big way as they get older. There will be roadblocks along the way, especially if there are neurodiversities to deal with, but don’t lower expectations, just change them.

OP your comeback is very inspiring to me.

I am so happy for you that everything came together - full circle even - for you!

Great work!