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Is someone told you they lost their parents when they were “young”, how old would you assume they were?

266 replies

Restorationandredecoration · 14/12/2020 22:41

Title says it all really. Is someone told you they lost both parents when they were young what age range would you assume? What would be the cut off above which you wouldn’t call someone young for losing their parents?

OP posts:
Whattimeisdinner · 16/12/2020 08:08

Anyway, I have studiously ignored her since although I think my upset is not really her fault. Her comment just made me think about how unfair I feel it is that my parents didn’t get to enjoy long lives (they were 47 and 51 when they died) and how I didn’t get to show them what I made of myself as an adult, or introduce them to my husband or my kids.

It IS her fault you felt upset.
Her comment was insulting.
Minimising your loss and the effect it has had on your life is unforgivable.
I’m really glad you have cut this woman off.

80sMum · 16/12/2020 08:18

You were very young, OP. To have lost both parents by the age of 23 must have been very hard to bear.

My dad died when I was 39 and my mum when I was 61. A year after my mother's death, I am still feeling lost without her. I know how very lucky I was to have had her for so long and my heart breaks for those, like you, whose parents die young.
Flowers

kitschplease · 16/12/2020 08:19

Under 20

howdoyouknow123 · 16/12/2020 08:21

@Restorationandredecoration

She’s always seemed pretty normal and friendly but it was just such a conversation killer. She said that and I replied “oh right” then we both sort of looked awkward and went quiet but we’re stuck in the bloody Covid queue outside the gates so I couldn’t escape.
I feel like this is one of those instances where she probably didn't know what to say and then accidentally said the worst thing. I bet she's cringing that she said that.
Bikingbear · 16/12/2020 08:21

@kitschplease

Under 20
Read the thread - don't minimise the Ops losses.
Enrosadira · 16/12/2020 08:22

That is young imo OP.

I’d have said under 25.

Stinkyjellycat · 16/12/2020 08:22

I’m sorry OP, to navigate the whole of your adulthood without parents must be really tough. Flowers
She’s a dick BTW

Besom · 16/12/2020 08:28

That is young OP especially to have lost both I'm sorry. I was 23 when I lost my mum and she'd been ill since I was 19 so I say I was young. I was not a child but I was not fully formed as an adult either and it was very difficult.

That woman is a weirdo and very insensitive just ignore.

TheYearOfSmallThings · 16/12/2020 08:28

She's an idiot, OP - I'm sorry you lost your parents so young.

If it's any consolation she's probably squirming and cringing that she said that. Or if she isn't, there is something very wrong with her.

EggBobbin · 16/12/2020 08:59

Wow OP- that’s definitely young!

I lost my mum when I was 30 after 5 or 6 years of degenerative disease. I feel I lost her pretty young to be honest- my peers were worrying their mums would take over wedding planning and I was just hoping she’d be alive to see it. She’s missing my kids growing up... I wouldn’t describe myself as losing her young to a stranded because sadly from experience a lot of people just don’t get it, but I certainly feel that way.

Sewrainbow · 17/12/2020 23:38

I wondered about you op and whether she had apologised or said anything.

Sadly some people have no ability for empathy because they haven't been there. I was friendly with some of my sons friends mum and told them on a meet up that dh's dad had died. Not only did none of them offer condolences to him they didnt even say much to me. I suddenly realised that all 4 of them were older than me, some into their 50s and all had both sets of parents and see them all the time. I also realised they weren't true friends but that's another story!

Fil death hit me very hard, despite my not having a great deal of time for him (long back story) but seeing his 20ish year old half sister at his funeral speaking about her dad transplanted me back to my similar age when my dad died. I realise now I had suppressed my feeling for nearly 20 years. At the time I'd started my NHS degree and had pushed it all away.

The time a patient reminded me of dad and I cried at work a colleague was fairly sympathetic until she asked when he died, it was 2 years on and she said "oh I thought you wrte going to say last week!" Really dismissively, like I shouldn't be making a fuss, she had no idea and shes a lovely girl, I'm sure she didnt realise how insensitive she was but I've never forgotten it. Funnily enough the colleague who did comfort me had lost her mum young too. Two years was nothing in the whole scheme of things and he was the first patient I encountered with pancreatic cancer since qualifying. He died a few hours after I saw him.

Another hobby colleague withered on about one of our colleagues children being strong for their mother when their dad died. They were just teens. She was in her late 50s when they died and took quite a time off work bereaved. She knew how it felt then I'm sure but she was the type not to have remembered what she said years before and I wouldn't be as crass as to say anything anyway.

I really sympathise for you op as not only did you go through that heartbreak twice and young their deaths were so close together that I doubt you had your head around one loss before the next happened.

It can take years for grief like that to come out as I have found recently. And as you know it changes over time. I cried for dad today watching the Royle family Christmas special where Jim tells Denise she'll be a great mum and how he'd have done anything for her once she was born. My dad has missed out on 5 dgc now, his children growing up into self sufficient adults and much much more xxx

Sewrainbow · 17/12/2020 23:40

Gobby colleague was in her late 50s when her parents died that should say

tunnocksreturns2019 · 17/12/2020 23:41

You were young! (and I say that as someone whose DH died when our DC were 5 and 7). She was horrid.

LadyofMisrule · 18/12/2020 01:27

I lost my dad at 18, and for me that was the upper end of "young." I wouldn't argue with someone over their definition, though.

MinecraftMother · 18/12/2020 01:45

That is young OP.

Mally2020 · 18/12/2020 02:43

idk my dad lost his mum early twenties and his brothers were teenagers so I just say they all lost her fairly young

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