Dear Sky:

You are welcome.

Congratulations for the following:

* Ending “a toxic and emotional/mentally abusive relationship some years ago”.

* “removing toxic friendships and friends who became passive aggressive” from your life more recently.

* Aiming at not having your anxiety and distress harm your child (“I maintain happy in front of my child… I refuse to allow this to impact my child”

*Proceeding with this “incredibly exhausting and draining” master program, one year left, so to advance your career and be able to provide for yourself and your child.

Really, you are a hero, nothing less.

As the social animals that we are (and a hero still is a social animal, like all humans), we need other people, we need to connect, to talk to someone who will listen attentively and respectfully, who cares, who wants the best for us, who is on our side. When we have this type of connection, our fears relax.

I understand that you have a very busy schedule and that friendships are indeed more difficult to form than in adolescence and young adulthood. Therefore I suggest the following:

– post here anytime, on your thread. Whenever I am at the computer, which has been daily for a few years so far, I will reply to you attentively and respectfully.

– see if there are support groups, for single mothers perhaps, in your university/ community where you can attend in-person meetings, over coffee perhaps, and share and listen.

anita