DEAR ABBY: This letter is for all those women who remain in loveless marriages "for the sake of the children" like I did. I wanted my children to have an intact family.
I said I would leave when my children were grown, but by then my husband had health problems, and I had responsibilities.
Intact family? That's a laugh. My children constantly fight among themselves and are disrespectful to me because that's how their father behaved.
Abby, I'm middle-aged and worn out. I wish I could divorce them all. If I had had the courage and common sense to leave when I was young enough to start over, I might now have some peace and tranquility. I gave away my life for nothing.
There isn't always a tomorrow. Sign me ... NO NAME, NO CITY, NO HOPE, NO LIFE
DEAR NO NO NO NO: If you're having a bad day, you have my sympathy. If you are being literal, and you still have your health, listen up! Being middle-aged isn't too late to make some therapeutic changes on your own behalf. It's not too late to find respite care for your husband while you take classes and sharpen the skills you'll need to make a life of your own and support yourself if necessary. Make one positive move on your own behalf, and I guarantee you'll make many others. It's only "too late" when you draw your last breath.