Thank you for your kind words in return. On here I can be a little more gooey and vulnerable, IRL I'm little more armor plated. Out of necessity.

I also fear that at some point, DD will get sick of the dynamic and just go. She may need to do that at some point anyway, in which case, not really sure. Maybe I'll get a dog? Find volunteer or other work?

Do you have a good relationship with your son? Does he have any feelings about what's going on, or is he removed from it all? With the whole dynamic changing, maybe your relationship with him can get stronger?

In codependency work, you're supposed to ask yourself what it is you want. And all too often, a codependent just focuses on what they think the other person wants or needs. When you haven't focused on yourself much, it is really hard to get in the habit of figuring out what it is you want. When you've spent a lot of time thinking as part of a pair, it's hard to shift over to a 'me' way of thinking. I've been working on it for 1.5 years now and still not successful at times. Accept that it's a slow process? It took thirty years to get here, it may take a while to get out. One day at a time...?

Don't know what kind of work you do, but it sounds interesting. Does that mean you are outside a lot? At least you have a job you like. That's got to account for something.

I've been around good mountains much of my life and nothing makes me happier than looking out at them (from the valleys where I've lived). Sometimes I sit at DD's school while waiting for her and just stare at the mountains all around. Think about driving off over them and never coming back .

Got any plans for your week off? Do something good for yourself. Something fun.

Maybe sometime I'll go bowling again. No bowling alleys close to home though. In the past I've been a pretty good Nintendo Wii bowler .