What has helped change your life the most this past decade?

Retiring has been my biggest change .... to be able to do what you want, when you want is wonderful. Not only being able to help with school hols etc with the grandchildren, but also to help my elderly disabled Mum, plus a brother with throat cancer. To have time for “ ladies who lunch” with friends, time for long walks in the countryside where we live but most of all time to travel. I have my bucket list which I am working my way thro slowly but surely. Have already crossed off New Orleans and the Rio Carnival ... next is a South Sea Island Cruise ? none of us know what the future holds so am trying to make the most of every minute.

I took early retirement from a high pressure job 10 years ago and was so looking forward to a few years pleasing myself and starting a florist business from home. Then six months later DH had a serious stroke and life certainly changed. All our retirement plans went down the drain and his physical and mental changes have affected our relationship. I also would be lost without technology as most of my time now is spent at home.
So my advice is to enjoy every day to the full as you don't know what's round the corner!

I’ve been online for longer than a decade, thanks to a son who showed me how to do it. It has definitely improved my life.

Both my grandchildren were born in the last decade, and although they haven’t made much practical difference to my life, they certainly alter the way I feel, and are a constant source of interest.

Ten years ago I was working full time and gallivanting all over the world a couple of times a year to far flung places, then I developed osteoarthritis out of the blue so had to give up my position and haven't travelled for 7 years. I am now recovering from a recent knee replacement and trying to build up my fitness again ( dreading having the other one done as it was a far worse experience than I expected) and am managing to do a bit of work just on a casual basis.

Also, I have 3 grandchildren now which take up a lot of my time (and finances!)

I met my partner 10 years ago this month and it completely changed my life for the better. I had been a single parent for 16 years working full time in London and bringing up 4 daughters with no help from their dad. I am a pretty healthy 70 year old now living in a lovely town in Kent with a holiday home in Spain (I’m writing this here). I retired 6 years ago and love it.you never know where life will lead you

Retirement, definitely.Have been using computers for a long time at work and at home, although do love my iPad and my Kindle.
The joy of being free to do things without any time constraints is wonderful, often don’t bother wearing a watch.

10 years ago I met my now OH after some turbulent times. He is in remission from Lymphoma and we now have ten beautiful grandchildren between us.
I am retired and we are comfortably off.
Life is pretty good for us.

Annsixty Fifteen years ago, and much younger than you are, I found myself in the same position as yourself. Watching DH where he turned from being my right arm to me being his .You will survive and you will get stronger so don't look to what may be ahead take it day by day. Your positive approach will benefit your husband, if he wants to live in the past join him it makes life so much easier for you both. Concentrate on today easy for me? it wasn't at the time but don't think what life might be like wait and see.

annsixty - I do understand what life with your OH must be like and send my good wishes to you. The drip, drip of stresses each day is so draining. I hope you are getting some respite. The loss of the man you shared happy times with is so hard.

Moved to France and had 3 DGCs.

Early retirement from choice, moving from the South East to the East Midlands, voluntary work, golf, croquet and walking netball have bought me many new friends.

Nothing at all.

DH retired. I have been retired for 20 years.
All of our children have married happily.
Five grandchildren and one step-grandchild have been added to the family.
We moved from the city to the country.
And yes computers, technology and the internet play a big part in my life.

On the downside, ongoing health issues limit my freedom of movement in a way I had not expected so our retirement is not quite as active as I
anticipated, but at least it's not life threatening.

I hope the next 10 years will be as kind to us.

Gilly you have a lovely new baby grandchild to look forward to

Sad to say that it’s the death ofour son at 35 nearly 11 years now. It changed our lives so much.

I would have said nothing really but when I look back over the last 10 years in reality a lot has changed. 10 years ago we were caring for my parents, my husband had finally found a job he liked after losing our business of many years, my youngest son had just got married, and we just had 2 young granddaughters with our eldest. 10 years on all 4 parents have died within 2 years of each other, husband's job was moved to another company and he left to join another. Perhaps the biggest change is our youngest son emigrating to NZ 5 years ago and giving us 2 new grandsons. Who knows what the next 10 will bring if we're lucky enough to still be here.

Easy question for me. Becoming a Grandma - I was previously a Granddad. With all the extras that go along with such a big change! It has also set me free to do things like becoming a lay preacher in a church where a woman can do that.

The love of a good man who came into my life - pure and simple.

That, leaving work and the fact that my children have moved on, are grown, more sensible and are doing well. I have been able to cast off some of the huge burden of crippling anxiety life had placed on my shoulders for decades. No gadget or technology for me, just life unfolding and becoming simpler.

It's been a mixture of good and bad. I passed my driving test in 2009 so that was good. But oh dear, the bad stuff. DH was diagnosed with motor neurone disease in March 2010 and he passed away just nine months later at 56. Two years later I was poorly with pneumonia and was so ill that I decided to move back up to the Midlands to be nearer family. Two years after that I got lymphoma so had to go through chemo. Three years down the line I'm in remission. Good times and bad times - that's life isn't it? There's no rhyme or reason but I guess I'm a survivor.

You are every inch a survivor lovebeigecardigans1955......and just you go on counting your blessings and letting them help you over the various unpleasant hurdles most of us have as we trundle through life.
(flowers)

Retirement and grandchildren. Both enriching.

Definitely the introduction of GC into my life. Thoroughly unexpected and a joy although mostly ethereal as I don't see as much of them as I'd like to. This is certainly not a complaint just a selfish wish.

My dd married and gave me loving gs. My d Mum died after my sisters and I nursed her through a couple of months of pancreatic cancer. It made me closer to my d sisters again. I took early retirement last year at 56. Big event for us was my dh and I bought a house in France last year and now I go over several times each year. Dh can only go twice as still working. New dgd on the way in August. Life moves ever onwards.

So much. DH died, both daughters married, 3 grandchildren, new partner for me, retirement and a holiday home in Spain. When I look back I see a completely different me, new chapter of life I suppose.

Retirement is probably the biggest change, but loosing my father and aunt who were the last of their generation did bring home the fact that now we are the eldest generation of the family. Message reinforced when my younger sister died aged 60. However, death is part of the deal, isn't it? And life goes on.

Love having the time to do some of the things we have always dreamed of and thankful for good health. Enjoying this time and refusing to worry about the future.