Thank you all for your continued support here.

Chatty, you along with Dotsie and Jeannine pretty much hit the nail on the head.

I can tell you, as painful as it's been, my separation from my daughter and the grandkids has probably been one of the best things to happen to THEM ... and, yeah, I have to admit to me as well. There's been a tremendous change in my life -- spiritually, physically, and in my marriage. I guess I want to dive back in -- well, at least my heart does.

And Dotsie, I know what you meant about listening to my heart ... it's my heart for God I needed to listen to, not the chaos of my emotions.

Jeannine, you are very perceptive. The fact is, it's my daughter from a previous marriage although, my husband is the only dad she's ever known. Still, there's always been some tension between them because ... yes, I'll admit it, I was co-dependent. As I said, coming here changed that.

I know I have to find the right balance. If it were up to my husband, well, he loves the grandkids but he's not overly involved. In all honesty, he's loved having me all to himself. We've talked about how that's not totally realistic. I'll be involved in my book marketing and, hopefully some other things. We won't be living an isolated life in a picturesque farming community. But, I've told him that we can plan to have our "alone time" by getting away, if only for a few hours or a weekend here and there. I am committed to him, but not to the exclusion of my daughter, grandkids, and my sister and family. There's just got to be moderation and they'll need to respect our desires for occasional privacy.

I've spent a lot of time in prayer today. I think I always knew the right answer, it is just hard to explain it to my daughter when I know it would help them financially and provide a nurturing environment for the grandkids.

Thank you all so very much.

Blessings, Francine

JUST SO YOU KNOW ...

I wanted to let you all know that I emailed my daughter a little while ago. I drafted up the text first. I usually do this for any lengthy or important email. I honestly explained my reasons, how much I wish I could help, and how I am looking forward to doing some of the special things I've done with my grandkids in the past ... movies, library, going to the San Pedro River Riparian area about 10 minutes from home.

If you think of it, please pray that she'll not only understand but that God would lead them to find a home that's affordable for them.

Again, thanks for all your support.

Blessings, Francine