Thank you for the responses. I'm glad it isn't just me that feels this way.

For myself, when I posted this it brought something to focus for me. I know I'm a very sensitive person, and can easily over-react. And I think that in some cases, I need to realize that while I may have the time and interest in checking on emails a lot or making calls or such, others may just simply not have that mindset or the time. Since I don't work except occasionally, I have oodles of time for such things. I no longer have children to chase or family to participate with. Others have partners and children and jobs and on and on.

And I can also be very bad about not actually "asking" for someone's time or attention. I just hope that they will understand my needs by what I say. And sometimes they do. But I also need to find the courage and ask directly more often.

It is hard to find the courage, especially when I've been hurt badly more than once by those who really shouldn't have done it. But it does help change my stress and depression levels a bit to realize that I need to change the way I look at others' situations.