DEAR ABBY: I was married for 20 years to a man who slowly isolated me from friends and family until I had no one but him to rely on. Now 49 and divorced, I am without close friends. For the last two years, I’ve been actively trying to build connections. I go to church and volunteer, rent a plot at the community garden to meet other gardeners, attend events at the local library, chat with vendors at the farmers market and know all my neighbors by name. People are friendly, and I’m well liked, but I am still alone every Friday night.

It seems like everyone I meet is either too busy or too wrapped up in their own lives to make room for a new friend. If this were just happening to me, I’d chalk it up to my age or stage in life. But my sons, who are 18 and 20, are struggling t

See Full Page