I deal with loss constantly. I work hard to try and build a new life - I moved to a new state in 2006 and getting a stable, good life here has really been a problem and a challenge and a half!

I had a nice stable life in Minnesota. But I moved to the mountains of Colorado - and while this may sound glamourous, what it is, is just plain hard!

First of all, mountain people don't socialize much. I have recently found a church that is fairly friendly and this is as "lucky" about this as I have gotten.

Its easy to be isolated up here, and that's the worst thing for me.

So what have I lost? I lost friends, social support, church support (although I am regaining this slowly), a decent house (I now live in what is considered the "ghetto" of my small mountain community - before I was middle class and in a nice neighborhood), my beautiful flower, vegetable and herb gardens that I loved to work in, a job that worked for me, fun festivals and things that my husband and I enjoyed, camping we enjoyed (camping in Colorado is definitely for the "tough"), and also my health - because living at altitude just puts bad physical stress on your body. Its really affected me in a negative way with my health.

And now we have spent so much money coming here and trying to get established, not to mention a lot we lost with the economy crash - we have to stay put. There aren't good options to move.

So - I've also had death/losses - my brother's suicide in 2005 being the worst.

Its a lot of loss to deal with. And I deal with it alone, everyday. Its a bummer.