Thanks to all for sharing.

With regards to be honest and open. Is this for self-protection, and if so are we the same with other relationships in life?

Example - I have sisters or friends that I share certain pieces of my life with because I know they share those similar pieces. It's waht we have in common. I might share eldercare issues with one friend who is also going through caring for their parents. Then with another friend, I might share the issues regarding raising 20 somethings because they are doing the same. I don't share everything with everybody. Who has time?

The other difference is that when we share here, we're sharing with many women, and in an open forum which can be read by anyone.

For some, there's anonymity, but for others, we are easily identifiable.

I've recently started sharing a bit more about my FIL who has Alzheimer's. For a good while, I couldn't share because I never knew who's reading and I didn't think it was fair to him to share such personal information. Ross and I have decided that since he is farther along the path, it wouldn't matter to him, nor hurt him, and the information can help others. Just an example of why I will and won't share certain information.