If you ever had a close family member die...

Yes, losing my parents and knowing I could potentially inherit their troubles genetically shook me up and made me realize I had to do better than they did.

I fear dementia so much I might just be stressing myself into it 😕

When they passed that's when I left in the van. I wanted to live. I didn't want to spend my days dreaming about what was out there, I went and saw for myself. I took on bravery I never had and pushed myself.

It was absolutely worth it, even if it was hard.

Yes I want to live a full life. I lost pretty much everyone in my mid-30s. It took it's toll, but definitely catapulted me out of the life I sheltered in.

My older sister died weeks before her 32nd birthday and it rattled me to my core. I never used it as a source of reflection because she died of her own bad habit.

My wife and I had as many years together as my sister had in total. She passed away a couple months ago on her birthday. I think about it a lot.

She lived a much healthier lifestyle than I do. It was always an unspoken foregone conclusion that it would have been me who goes first.

She left me as the sole caregiver to our adult, helplessly disabled son who's leaning on me now as i write this, making me make mouth fart noises for him so he can blame them on his mom and/or his lola, neither of whom are here, as far as i know.

My wife (his mom) died of cancer. It was a long and painful demise that i wouldn't wish on anyone. It was 6+ years of suffering.

I have to hope to go out in a similar fashion so ill be able to make arrangements for my son. If I end up having an aneurysm or heart attack or something quick, my son will likely suffer a long slow death besides me wondering WTF

I'm sure there's an app or something that is pulse activated that would alert his brother if ever my pulse stops.

I have thoughts like that too. I don’t want to say too many of them here because I want to support you. The best thing you can do is push the bad thoughts from your mind and enjoy the present. Solutions come surprisingly easily if life is lived in the present and worries are put aside. The mind continues to work on them and sometimes time brings about events that make our biggest problems go away all on their own. Be kind to yourself. You deserve it!

Yes… my mother passed at the age of 89. Her mother passed at 79, her sister at 69. Her father lived to be 95. My mother was physically very healthy for a long time, she survived breast cancer (caught it early) and was cancer-free for the rest of her life-another 18 years.

Neither she nor my father had diabetes, although it ran in my mother’s family. I do have it, and my brother was just diagnosed. Most of the people in my family who develop diabetes don’t make it out of their 60s. I’m managing it so far, and I’ll help my brother however I can.

So maybe we can beat the odds.

Yes ... my grandfather, my uncle ... both died of cancer ... my grandmother died of a stroke ... others as well.

And I had one incident where I was hurt badly and spent some time in a hospital. Some have said it was life threatening.

So yes, I've thought a lot about my mortality. In my About Me here there is a poem that has been in my About Me on here for at least ten years. It's by Chief Tecumseh. Check it out. 😉

Initially, I went through a phase where many stakeholders were tryna influence me ( and my sister). It was a state of confusion 'cos the change was sudden.

It was like coming face to face with the ultimate truth of life. I lost the family head a couple of years before I lost my Dad. I guess, my struggle was more to do with how am I going to fill in the big shoes. Anyone I turn up to seek advice in near family was manipulative, selfish, jealous or hurtful.

Sure, I had accepted that (1) I'm not here forever, (2) I'm gonna leave everything here (Not take with me), when my time comes....But, somehow, I was raised to lead and take charge and that was the immediate priority.

I have always been a thinker after those thoughts, was always thinking i'd go when my mom went, but when it happened I kept on, because dad needed me, now that dad is an hour's drive away, i'm living for the peacefulness of not having that kind of drama being such a part of everyday. The one major thing that keeps me going is books.

I hope on the other hand that LIVING will be more of what you'll be doing, enjoy life, knowing it's what all good parents would want for their children.

My parents. Killed when I was 19.

Yes, and the fact that I'm the oldest male ever on my father's side of the family is a reminder of my own mortality. If I live another 5 years, I'll be as old as any male in my entire family's history.
My sister (2 years older) is now the oldest living person in my family.
My time to die will come, hopefully not too soon....but you never know.

My grandmother died from brain cancer some many years ago.. it’s shocking because she was relatively young for a grandmother and so outgoing before it stuck her down suddenly

I think about it because I am growing older really fast. In fact, I am thinning my library and getting rid of other stuff to make it easier for my family when I am gone.

Both parents, all the grandparents, all the aunts snd uncles, a couple siblings....so yeah. I think more about it now, at this age, than when
I was younger.

Yeah, I started studying more, trying to further my career in what makes me happy. Well just doing more of what makes me happy really.

off late Im thinking like this more....

I've thought about it. My dad checked out at 76, that gives me about 18 years left, but I am not terribly overweight nor did I smoke as he did.

My grandfather lived into his 90s, but my aunt died suddenly and very young. I think that means you can't go just by relatives.

Oh yes. My parents and most of my relatives are all gone now. I am getting older and my wife's health hasn't been very good the past two years. I worry a lot about her. All of this makes me wonder how much longer I have. How I will finish out my days. I pray it's not in some state run facility being neglected and abused. There definitely won't be anyone coming to visit me or stand up for me.