My family have forgotten me and I feel neglected and sad

DEAR DEIDRE: MY family has forgotten me and I feel neglected and sad.

All I want is the odd phone call or visit. But my children and grandchildren are so caught up with their own lives that they only contact me when they want something.

I’m 76 and a widower.

I have three children and eight grandchildren and I used to love being part of a big, noisy family, enjoying Sunday lunches and birthday parties.

Now everyone has moved away from our home town and I feel I’ve been left behind.

I do try to keep busy and have friends my own age. But I don’t have as much energy as I used to.

I miss cuddles with the grandchildren and hearing about my kids’ lives.

This year, I didn’t even get a Christmas card. They blamed the postal strikes but it hurt.

DEIDRE SAYS: In today’s busy world, it is so easy for children to neglect their aged parents, not because they want to but because there are so many demands on them.

If you want more contact, you need to say so. Rather than blaming them or making them feel guilty, say how much you’d love to see them.

Perhaps you could invite the family to stay or schedule times for regular calls.