I AM A 69 YEAR OLD WOMAN LIVING IN PHOENIX, ARIZONA.  MY DAUGHTER AND FAMILY (HUSBAND AND TWO LOVELY GRANDDAUGHTERS LIVE CLOSE BY.  I HAVE HAD SOME SERIOUS BAD LUCK IN THE LAST TEN YEARS, WHICH INCLUDES THE FOLLOWING:

MY SON (43 YEARS OLD)  COMMITTED SUICIDE 6 YEARS AGO

MY SISTER DIED 3 YEARS AGO

MY AUNT (WHO WAS REALLY A SECOND MOTHER TO ME (I LOST MY REAL MOTHER IN 1969) DIED A WEEK AGO.

ONE OF THE HARDEST THINGS ABOUT GETTING OLD IS LOSING FAMILY AND FRIENDS.  NEEDLESS TO SAY, LOSING MY SON WAS THE HARDEST ONE TO OVERCOME AND I AM STILL COPING WITH THE LOSS.

AS FOR MYSELF, MY HEALTH HAS SUFFERED A LOT SINCE 1995 - TWO NECK FUSIONS AND THREE OTHER OPERATIONS, PLUS I WAS IN A BAD CAR ACCIDENT IN 2006 THAT FRACTURED MY PELVIS, DISLOCATED MY ELBOW, AND BROKE SOME BONES IN MY KNEE.  

I HAVE DEGENERATIVE ARTHRITIS, WHICH IS THE CAUSE OF THE NECK FUSIONS, AND I FIND IT GETTING MORE DIFFICULT TO COPE WITH SITTING OR STANDING FOR 3-4 HOURS.

I LIVE ALONE AND I TRY TO STAY CONFIDENT AND NOT DWELL ON MY MISFORTUNES.  I PASS THE TIME OF DAY WATCHING SELECTED T.V. PROGRAMS LIKE "THE DOCTORS" AND I READ A LOT.  I NEVER GET BORED AND HAVE NO DESIRE TO GET MARRIED AGAIN - I ENJOY MY FREEDOMS.