[quote=Doris]Hi,

I have all my ducks in a row now but I've had a real dramatic soap-opera-like life emotionally in the past.

Ah...you are speaking for me also, Doris! My experiences have been so bad, that I experience what might be described as a mild form of PTSD, waking abruptly in the nights to memories of some of the stuff I've allowed to happen.

Being financially independent as a single woman is a great thing, but it can also be an area of attraction for predators, and you must be careful. I actually almost lost everything thru a couple of relationships. I will probably never recover all that I have lost, but I am secure and comfortable with a good job, nice little house, and now content to be solo rather than risking more loss! Perhaps that is why I feel my "must haves" are for self-care rather than hoping they will be met by a man.
Love
Patty