Sad reflextion

Totally understand Lindaa4. I am 70 next week, have 5 grandchildren and keep saying I want to live forever to see them all grow up, marry have children. I
can't bear the thought of not being around to see :-(

well I am 81 with aches and pains , a new hip and still hoping to see my 16yr old GS grow to his 20s , lighten up ladies 70 is the new 50

I was thinking the same about my grandsons early this morning. Well, and about my grownup children. You just have to shove those thoughts out of your mind and get on with something. Enjoy them while we can.

I wish I felt like I did when I was fifty. Can't hardly remember it though.

Well I was 70 this year and I’m going to make as sure as I can to be around a whole lot longer ? if I live another 20 yrs I might even be a Grt Grt GMother ??

Well I’m 78 since we’re discussing age, and my three are 6, 6 and 4 so I’m pretty sure I won’t see them grown up. So let’s just enjoy them now. I admit I do often wonder how they will turn out but can only hope for the best. We’re all lucky to have them at all so I’m thankful for that.

At 68 with 8 grandchildren 9-16 years and I’m very much hoping to see them all into adulthood. Mind you the youngest has already informed me I won’t be invited to her wedding party, since I’m sure to be dead by then! I’m thinking she hasn’t inherited the optimistic gene'

I know that feeling about the lovely GC - especially my oldest who is 15 and just a treasure.

But we have to live for the day; be cheerful, fun and simply there for them while we can - and give them good memories of us to take on into their lives. And maybe hopefully a good example of how to be old, so it does not seem scary for them when they are contemplating it throughout their lives.

Well grannyqueenie you are younger than me and your grandchildren are older than mine.
I find it best not to think too far ahead.
Paw knew 4 of his grandchildren (7,5,3,and 18 months) but sadly died at 70 before youngest DD was pregnant with my next grandchild.
Life is nothing if not unpredictable

I totally understand how you feel too Lindaa4 . I have 4 grandchildren, 12 almost 13, 10 almost 11 and 8 almost 9, and then my little miracle baby girl (never meant to be) 6 months old. It upsets me to think that me and/or DH will not live long enough to see the little one grow up. We love them all so very much. My 3 older DGC have other grandparents but we are the little ones (my DD’s babys’) only ones.

I'm 72 and feel very positive of the time I have to spend and have spent with my 8yr old DGS. He is my only one and we are very close. My DD and DS never knew their GPs who died aged 62 and 66 so I really am glad DGS and I can spend as much time as we do together. My DH is 14yrs older and he and Granda just adore each other. I don't look too far ahead these days.

It is a sobering thought but it was ever thus and as others say, it's best to concentrate on the here-and-now. My paternal GP's died 44 and 36 years before I was even born so they didn't see their children grow up, let alone their GC.

I'm not that old, just in my mid-60's, and my youngest is only 22, while my mum is 91, so I hope I've a good few years yet!

I think my grandchildren will remember me because I have been and am, if not an everyday, a weekly (or more) part of their lives. When I kick my clogs or pop my bucket it will be the youngest ones who, I think, will miss me most because they will have known me all their lives and have spent and currently spend a lot of time with me. I have also been a figure of varying importance and influence in the older grandchildren's lives and I like to believe that I have been someone who made them consider moral and ethical decisions, think and question, evaluate and judge.

I often feel sad to think that at 64 we will probably never see our little grandsons over in NZ (5 & 3) grow up and marry or that they will know us properly. We have seen our Gds over here (21 & 17) grow and hope to be around to be GGP's one day (but hopefully not for a while!). Although they now live 2 hours away we do see them every couple of months. We try not to dwell on what might be in the future - its the here and now that's important.

I don’t think you can think like that, at 71 and 11 you will only be 81 when he is a man My best friend is 82 and knocks me into a cocked hat for getting out and about and doing stuff
It’s kinda of very negative to say you ll never see him grow up, unless of course you ve just had a diagnosis and know you won’t live long but it didn’t sound like that
I feel happy and privileged that I ve had this long with my grandkids and hope Ill have a load longer but don’t waste my time worrying about the future Anything could happen

Hear hear BlueBelle. We can't know the future.
My GtGM lived until she was almost 100 and outlived all but 2 of her 8 children.
That sounds a nightmare to me.

Enjoy your time with them. At 11 a child is on the brink of adolescence, before all the complex hormones start to kick in. They have such clarity and are reasonable IMO.
11 yr olds to rule the world!!

Sometimes it’s best not to know ?

Linda get your DGS down to a Cathedral.
We were in one the other week and mine wanted to light a candle.
He did and when I asked him what good wishes he was sending. ( I had explained that the candles were lit so prayers were sent to sad or ill people). He said he’d asked god to make Granny B live forever. My DM is 90 now.
So sorted?

At 71 I am already a great grandma to a five year old and a one year old. My mum died this year at 97, her mother was 96. I don't even think about dying and still think I'm 25 in my head. Just like babies arrive when they are ready, I'm sure I'll go just the same way!

I feel the same way as BlueBelle don't get bogged down worrying about the future enjoy the here and now.

When i was widowed with two small children I worried what would happen to them if I died before they grew up.

Now i worry about my three grandchildren, they call me their keeper of secrets, their mother is dead, when I die who will be their keeper of secrets .

Well, I'm 73, DGDs are 11 and 8, so I am hoping to see them through school and hopefully to university. I had both my children in my mid to late 30s so very definitely classed as an elderly mother in those days! My DD is in her mid thirties too and shows no sign of producing, (haven't asked, wouldn't dare, because I remember both our mothers continually asking when DH and I were a similar age, and how intrusive I thought it was). Just hoping that I shall have the pleasure of DGDs' company for many years to come, after all, I am only 24 in my head!

I am 81 and three of my GC are in their 20s, one has just become a father, and has his own business - I could have thought the same as you 10 years ago - and I'm not planning to depart this world any time soon!

At 69, yes I agree that it's sad to think of this. I'm hoping to see my four grandchildren grow into adults - if I live another 20 years I'll be the same age as my mother was when she died.

I remember my daughter, when my Dad died she was about 20. But she sobbed and sobbed, and said " But I've got so much more to talk to him about !". It's not easy to reflect that one or more of them might have to say the same about me.