Daisy

It's okay you canceled because those bills can start piling up. But maybe now that you're unemployed, nearly out of money, and no insurance and struggling, you can start looking into other ways to get assistance. It's not shameful to get help from low-income clinics or try for medicade when you really need it. That's what they are there for!

I know it's hard for you that your son is moved out. It's a huge change. You're going through the whole empty next thing but for you it really is empty! I haven't gotten to that stage yet, so I don't have any advice really. But as a daughter (and only child) who is terrible about calling her dad on the phone, just know it's mostly just me. I'm not a phone person, I really don't like talking on the phone. But my guess is that this is a phase. He's just learning to stand on his own and be his own man. I bet eventually he will turn it around and call you more and stop by more.

I feel for you about the cat thing. I have a similar issue with one of my dogs (you can pm me to vent about it if you want, I totally understand!)

The touch and hug thing, I get that, too! When I was a teen, my dad worked nights. He was already at work when I was home from school. We weren't a huggy family. In fact, I can't even think of a single time I hugged my dad as a teen. It just wasn't our thing. Then, I had no boyfriends, no close friends and was alone pretty much all the time. Even in a group, I wasn't a huggy person so if I was at church youth group or whatever, I wasn't one of those girls running around hugging everyone (they seemed so fake to me.) At one point I was thinking my skin was acidic and if people touch me, I would burn them. I didn't really get over my hugging issues until I had my oldest son, who then had kinesthetic issues as a baby and needed to be held all the time. Human contact, even with my ex, just felt alien to me.

I'm not fully passed it, either. My husband I'm good with, and my kids. Other people it just makes me feel strange. Even my dad still (although we are more huggy now than before.)