BellaOnline Forums Relationships Married No Kids Being Lonely When You're Old and no kids? BULL

Our landlord who lives with us is in his 60s. His parents have passed on and he has no siblings (only child.) He is single. No kids. AND YET!

He has received a lot of Christmas cards.

He was invited to spend the day with family (nephews, aunts etc.) and did so. He was also invited to the neighbours.

He has had several phonecalls in a row with invitations to do things today! So he has now gone out again.

He wants the company and he's got it and I want the solitude and I've got it!

Merry Christmas everyone and Boxing Day and happy new year however you choose to spend it!

I invited my "aunt" C to spend Christmas with us. She never married, has no kids, and usually goes somewhere to visit her many relatives. She told me she wasn't going anywhere this year because she had done so much traveling this year (Caribbean and Australia) so she didn't feel like going anywhere.

I invited her for Christmas several times, and she declined because she was looking forward to spending the day alone. I called her on Christmas Day to ask again, and she again declined. She was happily watching a movie with a glass of wine and a box of chocolate, and I said, "can I come over instead of hosting?" and she laughed and said, "see why this is so great?"

Those are great great stories. Thanks for sharing them.

Happy holidays everyone!!

Love it! Even the title of this thread is fabulously forthright!

My upstairs neighbour is in her 70's, any time she needs anything we try and help out. I send hubby for changing lightbulbs, we fixed her plumbing, her oven extractor and I regularly take her home baked foods. She had 3 kids. When the kids (now in their 40's) do visit, they want something or just argue with her. She's usually relieved when they go.

She said to me, if reliable contraception had existed she would never have had kids... or a husband!

Your neighbor is lucky to have you, softstuff! I think it's great that you help out. It's too bad about her kids. That really sucks.

I('ve) know(n) lots of old people who have one or more kids and they are still lonely. Having kids doesn't insure they'll even like you or want to care for you when you're old.

i agree, this is a great thread/ my godmother in law is always busy at christmas (either travelling somewhere , or has loads of invites to parties)
and i have another friend, who has 2 sons, but one of them doesn't even call her at christmas! it's not hard to figure out who is the most hurt at christmas...

I think we're just as lucky to have her. Hubby, her and I went for dinner last night, was nice. She supports our childfree decision and is all for it, which is a rare change for her generation.

This is a very interesting thread. I think that sometimes we forget that the elderly are just older versions of us. They have the same dreams, hopes and aspirations but a lot more knowledge and wisdom about getting what they want. Getting older doesn't mean that you just roll over and stop living, especially in this day and age with so many Boomers on the brink of retirement. They still have many useful years ahead of them. Many are more fit and more active than I think I will ever be. Gives me something to strive for. Loneliness is a state of mind.