It’s a small punch to the gut existentially that life is temporary, we are temporary, and nothing in life matters because we’re all just one short blip and life will continue with, or without us.
It’s a small punch to the gut existentially that life is temporary, we are temporary, and nothing in life matters because we’re all just one short blip and life will continue with, or without us.
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There are many that feel that way, yes. Not me, though. I feel life matters because it’s temporary.
I just have to look in the mirror.
Oh yeah, I get night anxiety about my loved ones dying. Can’t and don’t want to imagine my life after the loss of a parent.
Seems you’re having existential dread. I had this realization when I was a teenager after my parents died. Make the most of your time here, love on your family, try not to dwell on the negatives. Plus, who knows what happens after this life. It’s only sad or scary because of the unknown.
Yes I do
People have been confronting this realization for millennia. Memento mori.
But fear not, as there are books (so many wonderful books!) and essays, podcasts, videos, shorts, resources galore to tell you how some the greatest minds in history have approached this. You are not alone.
The great stoic philosopher, Seneca, said: “Let us prepare our minds as if we’d come to the very end of life. Let us postpone nothing. Let us balance life’s books each day. … The one who puts the finishing touches on their life each day is never short of time.”
I do get that. My mother died some years back and the entire family drifted apart. Every time I see a photo of them now, they are just getting older and older and it’s a shock every time. Maybe because there larger time frames between pictures, so the differences are stronger. It’s not the nearly non noticeable slow progression when I still lived with them and saw them every day. But yea, it’s like a gut punch every time I see them now. I don’t like it
Yes , I think it’s normal and then we’re aging too , it’s overwhelming knowing that life can just get snuffed out but when I get like that I think look enjoy their life whilst they are here.
My parents are old , not old to me but late 70s and I see them struggling and in pain sometimes but they don’t want any fuss , old school
Not a wh***
My baby brother died January 18th 2024. He was 32. Mom went at 64 in 2022. My oldest sibling just hit 51. I now constantly fear the next phone call. Dads 72 and still a tough bastard, works every day because he can’t afford to retire. My little girl is autistic and without me she’s fucked.
I am scared shitless I’ll die and leave her. I’ve said several times, I’ll never go easy. When the reaper comes he better come right, because I’ll rock his shit. When he drops my ass at which ever set of gates I’m going to they’ll say “holy fuck, what happened to you?” And he’ll say “this one didn’t wanna go..like… really didn’t want to go”.
I have to live for a very long time… I have too.
Not really, aging is inevitable. My sister was telling me about this 50 year old guy and I’m like shit that’s old. Completely forgot that she’s like 45.
All the time! However, it has also taught me how precious loved ones and life really are.
Nah fam this is totally normal. Especially your parents, and especially if you are close to them. Little things will happen that make it click that they are getting older. Maybe it takes them longer to get up from a chair, or maybe they ask for help with opening a gallon of milk, or something else relatively simple to younger people. It’s very sad. But realize that they might not be feeling the same sadness–a lot of times, the older we get, the happier we get.
No…just live today. We all know that birth is a death sentence but death isn’t real until it is. Today IS real. Live today.
Thats empathy not depression. And yes. Empathy is sad.
I get that when I see older actors whose work I enjoy and then see videos/pictures of them when they were young. Cage fighters too, where being young and/or in your prime is such a huge deal. I understand the sad element you refer to in all this random, meaningless swirl we’re in.
I recently became the last person of my family to be alive. I am 63. Mother died at 38, dad at 72, brother at 50 and another at 62. It’s a strange feeling. No one to share any family stories from childhood with and no one else left alive who remembers our grandparents. So yes, it is very quick and we will soon become a picture on a photo with a young family member asking “who was that?”
Both of my parents are in their 80s and in fairly good health. They travel and work in the yard just as they always have. I dread their passing. I try to think of ways to preserve the things they have taught us over the years or ways to remember the traditions and memories that they passed to us. I am the eldest so I have started writing down everything that I remember and my Mom and I go through old photos and write the names of the people on the back so that we preserve them for younger generations. Yes, I’m going to be a mess when they go.
Being raised by my grandparents I definitely experienced this early on in life. When I was graduating high school and going off to college they were on their last legs. Now that I’m an adult and having kids of my own the nostalgia of it all is hitting so hard and I wish I could talk to them again. Cherish the time you have left with your parents 😢 it goes faster than you can ever prepare yourself for.
With my sister, I get more of a feeling of anxiety.
When did this happen? Where did my little sister go? How did you grow up? We’ve been living in the same house our whole lives, how did I not notice this happening? Please don’t die when driving!
And then I get a little sad when I remember things like teaching her how to play patty cake and getting after her for playing with my toys and watching cartoons together and things like that.
With my parents, I get more sad. I realize that they’re not going to be around forever. I struggle to imagine a life where they’re not in it. I’m going to miss them.