My parents got divorced when I was 18 and it took my mum 12 years to find the confidence to start again. It broke my heart to see how shattered she was when my dad left her (inevitably) for a women half his age.
She has finally found a fabulous man and is happier than I had ever known her to be but she lost a decade in the process.
It's not just the divorced/widowed women either. I think that many women feel they have lost their va va voom once the menopause hits and their kids leave home.
Whilst I've been on maternity leave I've been cooking up an idea to set up an organisation that helps women just like my mum. The problem is that women are AWFUL at asking for help and I don't want to stigmatise women who already feel low in self-esteem.
If your mum is in the same position, I'd be so interested to hear whether you think they would take the step to seek help or if they have decided that there is no point?