[jbrooke111]

#1 My business is just paying its own bills with not much left
#2 Im 55 and am finding it impossible to find even part time work
#3 Our house is in forclosure
#4 I feel my entire family blames me and I think I blame me
#5 My wife has stopped showing any effection towards me
#6 My grown children gave up thier homes to move in with us to help but unfortunatly it was to late. Now we have to find a place and I have 4 other people as well as 3 dogs to find a place to live.
#7 I take prescriptions for a back injury that keep me in a fog most of the time and makes it very hard to deal with everything and everyone in my house feels its my responsibility to do just that.

I love my family so very much no matter how they feel about me. I feel alienated by them and find myself not included in what ever they are doing. It kills me to hear my wife laughing in the back ground with my kids when I havnt been able to make her laugh in months and god knows I try. Thats all for now thanks.

[Leed]

Bless your heart! I'm so sorry this is happening.

This probably sounds like a stupid question to you, but is it the economy that has hit your company so hard? Some companies are thriving, while others are struggling like yours, so that's why I ask. You CANNOT help it if it's due to this darned economy, and if they cannot see that, then they're IDIOTS. Doesn't your family know anything about economics and the business industry? Don't they pay any attention to your business? Why are they blaming YOU?? Do they think YOU have power over the economy?

DON'T let them walk all over you! REFUSE to take all the blame! It doesn't belong to you any more than it does to them! If they want to blame you for it, turn the tables on them, and BLAME THEM RIGHT BACK! I'm just kidding of course, but it makes as much sense!

Don't blame yourself for something you can't control. You can't control the economy any more than you can the weather. I know you took an awful "hit" and your family is NOT being supportive. That really stinks.

Perhaps you and your family should go to family counseling -- that would be the best solution to this problem -- it would get the family back together where all of you could better decide on what to do, and then do it TOGETHER.

I wish you the very best. God bless and Please take care. Hugs, Lee

[H3rmit]

One thing stood out for me among your many burdens. One I think you can get rid of:

>I think I blame me

Can you forgive yourself and drop the blame burden? Your family should, too. Sounds like you've done a lot for them and worked hard. Unfortunately, things went badly, but they for sure aren't all your fault.