Thanks, Lydia! I think there are an awful lot of amazing folks who post on these boards!

You're right, leaving with all the kids, on my own, was super tough. Thank God my mom gave us a place to stay temporarily, but although she had a very nice home and was retired and self-sufficient financially, she had just had her cancerous voice box removed, could not talk, breathed through a hole in her throat which had to be "vacuumed out" multiple times a day, and I ended up caring for her a great deal physically. But she shared everything she had with us financially and the kids brought a lot of love into her last year of life. The "place to land" she gave us was so so important. I really really admire those who start over after many years in The Family without this kind of help, and don't know how they have done it.

Laura

> What an amazing woman you are! Single women
> were really treated as second class
> citizen's unless of course you were a star
> provisioner, ffér or fund raiser of course,
> then they made all sort of allowances.

> It's amazing though you had the courage to
> get out, even though it was hard in the
> Family for you, the way the Family painted
> it, was that it was even harder in the
> "system". I really admire your
> fortitude and so happy for you that your
> kids are doing well.

> We've only have two more in school to get
> through High School. my youngest is eleven.
> So far like your kids they haven't started
> raising families yet.

> I have one that is married, (one is now
> seperated) but they don't seem to be in any
> hurry. I'm thankful they have the freedom to
> choose. But still, I would like to be a
> Grandma!