I had to get used to each person including parents and grandparents not being around for each holiday. It felt different for each person because of their relationship to holidays, but nonetheless had to get used to not including cards (or seeing them, buying gifts, spending time w/them, etc) and remembering they weren't a part of any holiday anymore. After the first year the remembering was easier, but the deceased are always thought of.

Get out...side? Sometimes. I would be more comfortable if someone could take walks with me because I'm quite sick and if I need help getting back home I don't have to hold back tears from the pain and drag myself home. Being sick is exhausting. I've also lost a lot of weight and I don't have much I can wear that will stay on me. My friend bought me some leggings that fit, but I don't like the look of leggings so I'm really uncomfortable leaving the house in them. I finally asked my ex a week ago if he had any jeans etc that are too small so I have one pair of jeans that stay up now, but I think the zipper falls down so I have to remember to check that lol. We still say very few words to each other. I also don't recommend skipping meals whether sick or not. Some people have no choice, though

I lived in King County for almost three years (Seattle for outsiders) and made friends who also came from the Midwest and they couldn't make friends up there either. The Seattle freeze is harsh. They love people not from the U.S. but if you're from any of the 50 states then you're a transplant (never heard that as a term for humans) and you should try moving to _(any city they come up with) because you'll like it better there as if it's an option to just move somewhere. One of the people I made friends with said she got along well with someone at a party, tried to exchange contact info (both had partners, it was obviously for a friendship) and the seattleite said "I have enough friends, I don't need any more." Hated it there. All of WA us not like that, though. I don't know if it's still happening but seattleites were having trouble getting hired in other WA cities because of their awful behavior. The one thing they have going for them is that they will stand up for injustices of others in other states...just don't have those people move there to Seattle lol

Where would one go to ask for help? In my experience the internet makes fun or ignores it. I just made it through winter without turning my heat on because I have no income thanks to long covid. I don't want money, just friends and people to talk to. I don't recommend not turning on the heat or having almost no one to talk to for three years. My now ex boyfriend thought it wasn't fair that his girlfriend was so sick so he ghosted me after five years. I've got some stories to tell lol! He still hasn't told me anything and it's been a year since he apparently moved out. I still live with his stuff, but I won't be selling his expensive fish stuff. I love that fish get wiggle-butt when it's feeding time 😆 it's adorable!

But really, with no money, where would one go to make friends and not be lonely? I know the mother in the article used money, but if someone doesn't have any family or an income because bootstraps (I'm in the U.S.) how does this get fixed? Maybe it would be easier outside of St Louis? Or the Midwest? Neither are options for me but can someone post a flyer in a supermarket and not get creeps/creepy responses? 😅