Dignity Isn’t a Countdown: When “Safety” Starts Feeling Like Control

Stop looking at me with that “sad puppy” face when I tell you I live alone. I’m 81 years old. I live by myself in the house I’ve owned for forty years. And I’m not a tragedy waiting to happen.

When people hear “elderly woman living alone,” their minds go straight to the dark places. “Are you lonely?” “Aren’t you scared at night?” “Maybe it’s time to continue reading …