DEAR ABBY: I am 35 years old and have been divorced for four years. Hypothetically speaking, if I decide never to remarry (which is tempting), or if I remarry 20 years from now, what is my marital status between now and then?
I consider myself single, not divorced. If I'm still single when I'm 55 -- or 80, for that matter -- I'd hate to refer to myself as "divorced" and give anyone the idea that I was divorced recently. -- SYLVIA IN SACRAMENTO
DEAR SYLVIA: The term "divorced" means that the person was at one time married and the marriage was legally dissolved. This is true whether the divorce was final 20 minutes ago or 20 years ago. When a person's marriage ends in divorce, she is legally a divorcee -- and that includes you. To imply otherwise is dishonest.