Fast approaching 59 years old and in, for me, the very painful process of getting a divorce from my husband of 24 years.

I am a mother of a son, aged 20.

Hobbies & interests include: family, gardening, cooking, museums & reenactments, travel, auctions, 17th, 18th & early 19th century ways & furniture, reading and painting.

Growing up we moved around a good bit, getting the opportuity to see & experience all that entails.

Although I have long been a highly visible volunteer (event planning, administration) at a small museum, I have no formal education other than a high school diploma and the odd college night courses.

How do you see yourself differently now than you did 10 years ago?

Due to the abrupt departure of my husband--a real catharsis!--I feel I understand more fully how deep my depression was and how crippling it had become.

I realize now that my obesity & slovenly housekeepeing of the past 2 yrs were all outward manifestations of how anguished & conflicted I became over a marriage to a distant, bottled up man. A man who was by turns affectionate and disdainful.

That his lack of work on a house so desparately in need of it, was his way of signaling his upset with me and his lack of respect for our union.

I now see--with the help of counseling--how deeply flawed my husband's  & my communications were non-existent or consistently misinterpreted.

I now TRULY realize the fat gave me a visible reason to hide away from the world.  Though to my credit, I will say I am (and have been) an active volunteer in community activities, but now I actually put a value on my accomplishments in, partially, overcoming my great resistance to going out in public.

Actually the last 7 years have been extraordinarily heartbreaking and filled with anxiety. I did not see that even 1 year ago.

Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

Good & bad:

I hope to have a HUGE bedrock of self confidence.

Physical fitness and a true spirituality.

The divorce is going to cripple me financially. I will be working at a petty job and living in a nothing special rental. Pretty much living from paycheck to paycheck.

I will practice not bearing ill will toward my exhusband or his new wife. Please I do NOT want to be envious of their lifestyle.

Hopefully I will be even richer in good friends and they will be glad of me.

Planning to become physically fit (I've lost 64 lbs since 21 May 09). I'll be into T'ai Chi & Yoga & keep up with the Pilates.

I'd like to be of greater help to my community or go overseas and lend what help I can