DEAR ABBY: I am in my 30s. I have not lived at home for 10 years; however, my parents sold the family home a few months ago, and I got very depressed when the sale became final.
My parents are in excellent health and live nearby. I am grieving, but I don't know why. My brothers and sisters and I grew up in that house, and we all feel a real sense of loss.
Maybe I'm having trouble getting used to the idea that time marches on and that all good things eventually end. Also, we're not getting together as often as we used to when we gathered at the house.
Can you suggest anything that will help me move along with my life? I want to focus on positive things and not look back for something that is gone. -- GRIEVING FOR THE HOUSE
DEAR GRIEVING: The house was a symbol of your childhood. Now that it is gone, in a sense, so is your childhood. That may be a sad thought, but dwell on the positive. You have the rest of your life to live as an adult, with all the guaranteed rights and privileges that go along with it. If the family isn't gathering as often as it used to, consider starting new family traditions. Perhaps it's time for you and your siblings to trade off hosting holiday celebrations. Look at it this way: Nothing stays the same. Sometimes it gets better and better.