Hi quelinda,
I'm in the same boat, but have been on both Bogleheads and MMM for a while. While there's lots of "FIRE" talk and points of view from very young people here, you can ignore the trendy words (side hussle = part time job, gig = lower than minimum wage job) and still focus on the basics. I'd also point you to Bogleheads.org and look for the wiki and the section on withdrawal strategies.
There are some fairly easy basics that you can start with. You'll need to know what you spend each year. With kids still at home (me too) but being near social security age (I'm 62, so right there with ya), I find it helpful to use excel and plot out a year by year chart. That way, entering all the normal investments with assumed % gain each year along with expected spending can have the short term costs like college or buying a car or putting a new roof on (all of those are going on for me right now) can easily be added in the expected years. I've got social security payments for both my wife and me in the years they'll start (70 for us) and in my case, I have a small pension which I'll take as a lump sum at 65. Oh, and in your spread sheet, assume a reduced social security payment when the trust fund goes to zero...around 2034 to something like 80% of full payments.
I originally built my spread sheet to see where my wife would be when I die (yes, I've chosen when I'm going to die and put it on the spread sheet). Seeing that big number helps me know where she'll be. In my case, I've got a ton of US Savings bonds, so the spread sheet also shows me when I should start to use those up. You can also include RMDs which have to be separate for some accounts, so read up on that. You don't have to have taxable accounts to stop working, but it's very much advisable to know what you'll need and if you've got enough to cover it. If you don't, keep working.
Lastly, you CAN be financially independent and still work. I am.