Hello Ada: Years ago I came home from work and the house was a mess, dirty dishes in the sink, laundry piled up, etc. I was stressed out from long hours at work and had no energy to deal with it.

After assessing the situation, I told my son to pack some clothes and get in the car. We spent the weekend whitewater rafting. The mess was still there when we returned home, but I felt better mentally. Sometimes you just have to get away from whatever is bothering you and just relax.

Try going outside and looking at the night sky. When you consider how vast the universe is and how small our planet is, then how small we ourselves are compared to the earth, then our problems seem very small indeed.

I am not suggesting that your problems are small, only that sometimes we worry too much. A hundred years from now, no one will care if you had boxes in your living room, a messy house, or slimey lettuce in your refrigerator. Just do what you can, and forget about the rest. You may be afraid because you have to make decisions on your own now, but I can tell from your posts that you are much stronger than you believe. Just take one step at a time and it will all work out. Regards, Lil