0623

My husband passed away in July, 2013. We were married for 33 years, and I loved him very much. His entire family has dumped me, including his son, who was supposed to help me start a business and help me, which never happened. I have no family of my own. My mother died in 2007 of Alzheimer's; we took care of her. This has become a nightmare of biblical proportions. I know I should make new friends, but I am 64 and John was the only real friend I ever had, except for my parents. I do have a neighbor who I am close to, and a couple ladies who I talk to on the phone, and a slew of pets. The problem is I have never done anything on my own. Before John it was my parents, and I was content with that. We never were invited to Thanksgiving or Christmas; we always celebrated by ourselves. When I married John, I finally had somewhere to go on the holidays. My mother never felt comfortable with these people, and was uncomfortable going to their houses. She particularly didn't trust John's son. Now I know why. I don't have much money anymore. Right after John died, a developer offered a large sum of money for my place. I feel comfortable here, and, like a fool, didn't take the deal, relying on my stepson's offer to help me start a business. My problem is I have been a trusting fool all my life. My stepson promised his dad on his deathbed that he would take care of me. He never calls, and I have only seen him a couple times in two years. I could go on and on. Is this a common occurrence, or is it just me? My dad was a man of his word, and if he said he would do something, he would try his best. I guess I was used to being a beloved wife and daughter, not being treated in this manner. John's sister is even worse. We even had two memorial services -- one for his sister's family, and one for us. It was the worse case of sibling rivalry I have ever seen. She is now fighting with a ghost. This woman is a marriage and family counselor, and I am not even sure that I am going to get John's share of his inheritance. His 100-year-old mother is still alive, and John's sister can manipulate her to do anything she wants her to do.