Everyone's died

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My lovely grandparents, my uncles, my beloved parents, my doggies. All gone I now have 2 people left in the world. My DS and DH and that's it. When I think of my childhood and all the family get togethers, it like a stab in the heart.

Getting old is so incredibly hard.

OP, I fear your situation so I'm doing my best now to create links elsewhere. Its not easy though.

Does your husband also have no family?

I remember big get togethers, but they were loosely networked. Inlaws, neighbours, cousins… each individual didn’t have a big family, but the extended network did iyswim.

No, just a few that he's not in contact with.

Take care of yourself , its very very hard having nobody💐

I completely understand this having lost all my family, I have only my DH and 2 DC, it is hard to see other fsmilies celebrating and not having that, unlike some I don't have any friends to turn to

This really

It is hard, I still have my parents but I still miss my beloved Gran so much. Circle of life, it is how things are meant to go but it doesn’t make it easy to cope with.

Maybe one day your son will give you more people to love x

I’m the same Op except I don’t even have my lovely husband, he died too.

just me and my dc. They’ve grown up and are developing their own lives. I’m not even 50 yet.

Sending you all so much love

My grandma felt like this. She outlived all of her friends and her husband. She only had us. She was an only child as well. As was my mum. It must have been incredibly difficult for her.

It’s something I dread to be honest.

Right now both parents are still alive, but realistically could be gone in the next five years. They are old and not in good health. I’m not close with extended family, have tried to build bonds but they aren’t really interested. I have my very long term partner, who I am happy with, and some pets which are unfortunately getting older now and I try and cherish every day with them.
I chose not to have kids so I guess my family will end with me. I’m actually ok with that, and I don’t think having kids to stop you feeling lonely is really a good enough reason if you don’t want them for other reasons.
I went as a plus one to a mates family party a few weeks ago, atleast 50 people there, good fun but I felt incredibly teary when I got home. It made me think how close I am to not having any family at all. My partner has a nice family, but it’s never the same as your own.
Nothing I can do about it unfortunately, as much as I would love to be able to stop time right now.

You sound so angry & bitter. Lots of people do have faith, so perhaps try not to be so disparaging.

I remember sitting with my brothers just after my Dad died, and saying to the ‘do you realise, we’re orphans now?’

We were all in our fifties, but still…

It’s my worst worry so I feel for you. I can only second having strong network of friends, after all, you can be closer to some friends than you are some family members

I found a cousin I didn't know I had in 2022. We have met up since then and have loads in common. We are in our now late-ish 30s.

I wish there was a care/handhold emoji. 💐is probably the best one.

I know how you feel. Coming up to 50 I have lost both parents in the last few years (yes I know many people do much younger, including in my own family) and we were only a small family to start with. Only have one older blood relative left, my aunty who was my dad's younger sister, when she dies, and she is 80 now, on my side I will be the matriarch. 😳

Was looking at old photos at the weekend and thinking about how much I miss both generations- silent generation and "greatest" generation, who were around when I was younger.

But it's a privilege to have known them at all and also to get even this far myself in good health. There were a couple of close relatives who didn't make it that far, I could have lost DH to sepsis before he was 50 and without antibiotics I'd have died of a chickenpox complication age 7. My friend lost her husband recently in his early 50s. So ageing in good health is definitely a matter of good fortune in itself and I'm so glad I got all the time with my parents that I did, and that DDs did too.

I've got some distant relatives out there - one grandfather was one of ten. It would be nice if I met some second cousins one day.

Sadly your situation isn’t uncommon. I’m an only child, one parent left and my DH and children.

Do you have any cousins whom you could reach out to? My Dad and his siblings were always fighting and falling out so I didn’t see much of mine growing up. But, thanks to technology, we’re in touch now and they’re nice people. So I’ve expanded my family ties in middle age.

It is hard. I have no blood family left at all. None. I do have friends.
I have no easy answer for you. Whatever people say, friends are not like decent family. But friends can be people you spend time with and help you enjoy your life. You need to build up your life so you have fun again.
But I am sorry you are going through this. I can identify with it.

People talk about reaching out to cousins. I have none. I am in Christmas card contact with a second cousin.

When my DM (74) and DF (76) go, it will be just me. Do have DF's cousins but all are older than him as DF's father was the youngest child.

DM's sister died 4 years ago without being informed. DM used to get a birthday and Xmas card from her, last few years, written by her BIL. Last heard in 2019. We put it down to covid the next years. DM googled her sister's name. It's easy as got a very unusual middle name. Ordered the death certificate as curiosity. Plus some diseases could be in the family but not the parent. She died of Multiple System Atrophy (MSA). No cure. One of the first symptoms - unable to hold a pen - ah! that explains why DM's BIL wrote the cards. Will not hear from that family.

Then DF has a sister who have little association with plus her family.

Jealous of people that have medium sized families and get on with each other.

What do they say - friends are the family you choose? I have two very close best mates and both of them feel more like siblings than my actual sibling. I have two parents, one sister and that's it - no children (can't have) or current partner. My friends are literally the family I choose and my world is so much the better for it. I think you need to expand your circle - I only moved to my city just under two years ago and have found lots of new local friends via my hobby. I am sorry you are feeling sad, but there's nothing like wonderful friends to uplift you.

I too fear this. I am an only child with no close cousins. I feel too old to have children and I worry about them having no family either. I do have a partner though and some close friends.

I think friends are key for those of us without much family. Especially if you can find ones in a similar situation to yourself.

Best wishes to everyone in this situation. Life can be so unfair, and often to really decent people too.

Church at least (can’t speak for other religions) isn’t just about “myths” mostly it’s a community, often older people and a whole social life provided. We have multiple activities, some do not involve religion at all and non religious people come too, others activities do include religious content but many people are more just culturally religious as in they were brought up c of e but don’t truly believe. I know people who attend church who are atheist! The community provides that gap people seek

This is lovely to hear. I am glad you have such great friends in your life.

Sometimes I feel like I am in an absolutely impossible situation regarding family, and if I let it get to me, I can feel like the loneliest person on earth. However, then I remember that the planet is home to billions of people. I am not truly on my own, and there are many people out there for me to choose to be friends with!

It happens as you get older. You’ve still got the two that should mean most to you - your DH and DS.

So sorry OP that must be really hard.

All my grandparents are gone now, and my aunts and uncles are dying so every year there are at least 2 funerals. My parents are getting elderly and I worry they don't have long left. My only sibling also has a life limiting illness and will likely go well before me. My DH is disabled and at risk of an early death, hopefully not but its one of the autoimmune disorders that can reduce life expectancy. I don't have children and only a niece and a nephew on my husbands side. I do worry about my own later years and being alone and I get very nostalgic for the past and a time when everyone was still alive and well.

Watching the repeat of Live Aid on TV at the weekend took me back to my childhood and reminded me of my parents watching it when I was 8 in 1985 as I was in an out the house playing. It was a lovely memory but also sad to think of it as so far in the past now.

All these young families start out so young and full or life and hope but age and death comes to us all and witnessing that decline and experiencing the loss is very dark and painful at times.