Out living our ancestors

This week I passed a significant milestone. I passed the age my dad died at. I'd had the date in my head for some time.

My dad outlived my uncle by a couple of months. Looking back over our family tree no male antecedent had made it as far as dad. Grandad, greet uncles, great great grandads etc all gone often well before the 59 years 10 months and 4 days dad got to.

My late cousin made 62 before he sadly passed away from cancer early in the covid-19 lockdown. My brother is setting a family all comers record now above 63 despite his internal defib causing some hospitalisations.

Now I'm passed Dad it is weird - how the hell have I managed to get here?

As they say "carpe diem".

This page is a permanent link to the reply below and its nested replies. See all post replies »

Really · 80-89, M

My Dad died at 65 having lived longer than either of his 2 brothers. I'm 85 and it seems so sad that they died so much younger. Gives me a feeling not unlike guilt. All of them were enlisted & active in WW2. I believe that affected their health, both physical & mental. I often think of my parents' lives and how their hopes & dreams for married life would have been completely destroyed by the war. The various upheavals of wartime also interfered with my own potential for a close & intimate relationship with them - as no doubt it distorted their bonding with each other. I try to imagine their feelings & expectations when first married, and how much those hopes must have been dashed. What a ripoff and lifelong disappointment.