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Sunday, April 13, 2008

Hi Julia,

I knew there were a lot of us older single women, but had no idea the statistics were that great here in Clark County. I was widowed at 67, having quit work a few years before to take care of my husband and my mother, both with dementia. Upon my husband's death I was left with only Social Security. His long illness had by that time cut deeply into our savings. Four months after my husband's death I took a part time job as a merchandiser with American Greetings, a job I thoroughly enjoyed and which supplemented my income. During that time I sold our acreage and home and had a small house built in Battle Ground. A few years later I took out a Reverse Mortgage on my new house and then retired in 2007 at 75 to concentrate on freelance writing. The Reverse Mortgage has been a life saver!

All in all I am pretty well satisfied with my life. I owe much of that to a group of women known as the GALS (God's Amazing Love Sustains) made up of women who attend church alone. They stood beside me through some very rough times. In turn I try to be there for them in their times of need. Today there is always someone to call if I want to go to a movie or out to eat or to the beach or whatever. I would not have come through the past few years quite as well as I have without them and their support. As for my advice to other women? Find a good financial advisor and a group of other like-minded women who are drifting down the same lone river as you. Piety parties usually have only one in attendance.

Shirlee