Older Mumsnetters (70+) - do you feel like time is no longer on your side?

[Bumperjumper]

As a family member turns 75 soon, I was thinking “wow that’s nearly 3/4 of a century…. Oh they may not make another 1/4… oh they may have way less than that….”

And it made me wonder if you feel conscious of potentially not having much time left? Of course you could live to over 100, but life expectancy is somewhere around 83 I believe. Do you feel grateful for every new day? Do you hope to live for many many more years or would just a few more be “ok”? Do you accept that you’re coming towards the end of your time on the planet? Does it panic you?

Dying scares me in as much you have to leave your loved ones. And I can’t ever imagine being “ready to go” (even though I have sadly seen those with a terminal illness get to that point), and in my mid-40s it feels hopefully far away, and doesn’t play on my mind on a day to day basis.

Again of course none of us know when our time will be up, but when you’re 70+ do you start to really think “shit, who knows how long I’ve got”? Does it play on your mind more?

@AuntieMarys
So sorry for your loss.

I feel a need to live forever because DS1 who I care for said he will kill himself when I die.

I don't know what to do with that.

My dad is 77 and keeps saying he probably hasn't got much time left. It terrifies me.

I will be 70 next year and have no significant health issues. DH is nearly 10 years older and has incurable prostate cancer so chances are I will be left on my own at some point. I do think about his possible death more than my own, because it is likely to be sooner than mine (even without the cancer) but we both come from quite long lived families so could have a good way to go yet. I try not to worry too much about the future but inevitably you do sometimes think about maybe when the grandchildren will be older and wonder whether you will be around to see various milestones, or as someone else said when you buy a new appliance or similar and think I wonder if I will ever need to buy another one!