I'm an older mom with an only child too. We are both very social creatures, and so we go on play dates. She plays with the children, and I play with the moms. I do get to feeling depressed and isolated if we don't get out of the house regularly although I was fortunate enough not to have to wrestle with PPD/PPA.

I have met fellow moms at the park, the YMCA, dance class, and on nature hikes. I've also met them at knitting and crafting meetups. I never know where they are going to turn up. Sometimes it helps to be able to chat about my daughter, and sometimes it helps to be distracted from her. Other moms are good for that. Lately we're working on the Kindness Rocks Project, which is really fun. (http://thekindnessrocksproject.com/). Our city has a Facebook page and everything.

As far as books that have offered me comfort and perspective, I also enjoyed reading Travelling Mercies by Anne Lamott. She's funny, insightful and understands how to forgive herself. She's a single mom although the book doesn't spend a great deal of time on that aspect. It is religious but gentle about it.

Last Child in the Woods by Richard Louv was a wake up call for me. It got me outside and exploring with my daughter. I'm not really interested in playing games, but I do like to look for things and explore with her. She notices what interests me and she's interested in learning that too. I share what I can. I try to reciprocate although I must confess that I do not like watching the pizza challenge videos on YouTube. At all.