Meaning of life

[Deadringer]

Aibu to have just figured out the reason we have kids? It's so that we keep going, for them. Just found out tonight that my mum, who I adore, is dying. My brother, who I love to bits, is also terminally ill. It just struck me tonight that if I didn't have my kids, life wouldn't be worth living. Is having children the meaning of life? I have had a couple of glasses of so please excuse my ramblings.

so sorry to hear your horrible news, to be losing your brother and your dm is just unthinkable. Totally get what you mean but you should keep going for you too. You deserve to have a good long life and both your mum and brother would want that. Do you have people to talk to in real life?

It's not the meaning of my life. You're entitled to share your ramblings though! I appreciate that you're taking stock right now and family is important, my ramblings are that I'm trying to create a life where I can find meaning without needing other people, or at least, not be regularly reliant on any one person (inc family). I just read a good book called finding meaning in the second half of life by james hollis.

Anybody would struggle to learn that they were going to lose two family members :-( awful.

Big hugs ringer. Losing family is so hard. Make the most of them while they're here - in many ways it's good that you know that you need to, so that you can and don't have regrets.

I lost my mum by surprise recently, but with great good luck I'd spent a lot of time with her for the last couple of years. Losing her has spurred me on to do more to make the world a better place in general, and also in specific for the people I know.

I just really feel if I didn't have children, I just couldn't be bothered. I am usually an optimistic sort of person, so this is a revelation for me.