For better or worse

At 61, living alone is something I would not readily give up. Yes, my daughter is with me but she occupies her own corner of the house and there are days we barely see each other. At 26 she has her own life and when she feels like it we will catch up over how things are going.

There is simply too much value for me in introspective solitude. I report to no one, live authentically and have plenty of friends to fill the void for company. I have learned far too much in life about human nature to play amateur psychologist for people who are not secure and my natural instincts to be a problem solver makes it so that I invariably lose out in the couple formula. I have no time for someone else's drama or baggage.

For the first time in my life I am prioritizing my own needs and with children in their mid 20's it is much easier to do that. Thus, this current status is not something I will readily give up any time soon.

For better or worse I was trained by parents who extolled the value of self-sufficiency and the power of life experience gives us an edge in that we see things coming far in the distance. I see people in relationships at all stages of life and don't envy them in the least simply because the complexities I once experienced remind me to be wary of giving up where I am now.

Been there, done that.