smile, what a topic! I think loneliness is a huge problem for the elderly. They need people to be with them and they need to be touched.

This might be a good place to share this. I am a people person. Gotta have lots of people in my life. I was raised in a family of seven. There were 5 kids and Mom and Dad. Our house was like Grand Central Station. The door was always open for our friends. People were either coming to the door or ringing on the phone. Great fun.

As an adult I love to get together with family and friends. It jazzes me. I am usually the one to phone a friend and ask them to do something.

Some people might not reach out to others because they figure others don't reach out to them. I say who cares...as long as we get
together. I'll be the pest. I don't mind.

And usually when I plan something, people come and we have fun. It's just everyone being together that makes it special.

One of the main reasons behind my project was that I didn't want to be alone later in life. The past stages of my life have been very busy and I was afraid of the empty nest.

I have three teens and hope I've raised them to be independent. So I picture them all living on their own some day and me being here thinking, where is everybody? I pray Ross is here to live out the golden years with me, but he is a Diabetic (shorter life span? and a male) and I don't want to be alone. God knows I want him to out live me.

But, thanks to God... now I have all of you! We have each other. And we will meet one day! I feel certain. I feel blessed!

Now I could be struck dead tomorrow, Ross could live forever, and the kids may never leave home, but I have a passion given to me by the Lord and I'm grateful. I no longer have the fear of being alone.

We have to face our fears and do something to change them. Just my ten cents worth...too long! I guess I could have put this in Toni's post too.