Discussion: I am a 60-year-old woman who recently divorced after 35 years of marriage. To my surprise, all my married friends broke up with me like divorce is a contagious disease.

The phenomenon you describe is familiar and repeated in different cultures (It happened to me, too). Divorce is not a disease but is sometimes perceived as threatening other couples. I guess there are anthropological and sociological explanations for this. Soulmates are usually kept in touch, even after a divorce; take comfort in the fact that the person who cut you off from contact is not a soulmate or a close friend. As we get older, we need fewer friends but more intimate friends. In time, hopefully, you will make new friends.