Dying Alone

[Katsmeow]

Uh..kinda confused with your questions. I am not adopted, just that my blood family is VERY small and there aren't many of us still around.

I think it was because in your original post you distinguished blood family from just "family" without a qualifier. I know that people often use that terminology without meaning to make a distinction.

But, at times there is an intent to distinguish "blood" or biological family from, say, adoptive family. In fact in the linked article I found it interesting that they put in a chart which talked about people over 50 "without any living kin, including a spouse, partner, biological children, siblings, or parent." Another place in the article talking about only 1% of older Americans having "essentially no relatives at all alive, including a spouse, partner, children, or biological parents or siblings."

I feel sure that you in your post weren't meaning to leave out adoptive families but the author of this article seemed to go out of his way to do so. He seemed to be taking the position, for example, that someone with adoptive parents or siblings has no relatives. That would be news to my adoptive mother. It would also be news to my adoptive children. And it would be news to my biological child who under this article apparently should no longer consider his adoptive siblings as being actual relatives.

To be clear OP - I don't think you meant to exclude adoptive relationships by referring to blood family. But, it really does shock me that someone writing for Bloomberg apparently really wanted to stress biological family as the only real relatives.

 

[irishgal]

Sounds relaxing

Well, that's true

 

[irishgal]

Those of you looking to get married so you won’t die alone are missing an obvious question. What happens if your spouse dies first? That’s what happened to my dad. After my mom passed away, he married a terrific lady 8 years younger than him. They both expected that he would die first, and she would live on and on. But she was diagnosed with lung cancer and passed away first. Fortunately my dad had my siblings and I to look after him until he died about a year later.

So you never know. I guess if you are going to get married to have someone look after you in your final days, try to marry someone quite a bit younger.

Are there people here who are thinking of doing that, getting married just so they don't die alone? I agree with you-may sound better in theory than in practice!

 

[Sarah in SC]

Are there people here who are thinking of doing that, getting married just so they don't die alone? I agree with you-may sound better in theory than in practice!

That’s like having kids so you have someone to take care of you when your old. Also one where theory and practice may differ!

I’m hoping that having to cultivate and maintain friendships in order not to be lonely in old age will make me a less crotchety old person!

 

[Nemo2]

getting married just so they don't die alone?

I've heard of people who want to die alone just so they don't have to get married.

 

[irishgal]

I've heard of people who want to die alone just so they don't have to get married.

I needed that, thanks!

 

[Scuba]

I've heard of people who want to die alone just so they don't have to get married.

[emoji23]

 

[Totoro]

Are there people here who are thinking of doing that, getting married just so they don't die alone? I agree with you-may sound better in theory than in practice!

My mother had children because she didn't want to be alone (only child).

 

[ls99]

With natural childbirth, there are two trips everyone makes alone, into this world and out. Regardless how many onlookers there are.

In my case, I was born at home, in the kitchen of my parents three room house. The first person to greet me was the midwife. I can't remember what she looked like.

 

[Huston55]

With natural childbirth, there are two trips everyone makes alone, into this world and out. Regardless how many onlookers there are.

In my case, I was born at home, in the kitchen of my parents three room house. The first person to greet me was the midwife. I can't remember what she looked like.

A Chef?