Older Americans are alone half their waking hours, on average

Re:Older Americans are alone half their waking hours, on ave... by hestipod on Friday July 12, 2019 @02:43PM (#20423243)

I've always been envious of such families. Only one person in my family was really a quality person, and he passed long ago. I moved abroad for a time to a country where families are closer and while it was exhausting and intense in it's own way after my childhood, it was amazingly "safe" feeling. The relationship that brought me into that fold is gone, and while I don't miss my partner, I miss those people in their family greatly.

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Re:Older Americans are alone half their waking hours, on ave... by toomuchtodo on Friday July 12, 2019 @03:29PM (#20423644)

You might consider reaching out to that family and exploring if you can be friends without the relationship that brought them into your orbit. No downside to asking.

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Re:Older Americans are alone half their waking hours, on ave... by hestipod on Friday July 12, 2019 @04:19PM (#20424116)

I live in a different country now and it's difficult to maintain long distance relationships in the best circumstances. When I lived there and saw them on the street (I lived nearby) it was always nice and they are wonderful people, but there was no way to have a relationship beyond that as my ex, the replacement relationship, and child that followed, were their family then, not me. It's always in the back of my mind as I adored the family and they treated me like one of them. It's just how it goes.

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Re:Older Americans are alone half their waking hours, on ave... by toomuchtodo on Friday July 12, 2019 @05:03PM (#20424470)

I'm sorry to hear that.

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