Ever diminishing family

G

Goldfynche

Senior Member
My mother had one sister and three brothers. One brother we lost touch with, a long time ago. But we were originally quite a large family. Although I was an only child. I have three cousins, all girls, and now we are all that is left of my generation.
The point I'm trying to make is that it feels really weird being the senior members of the family. I have two children and each of my cousins has a single child.
 

I know how you feel. My family was huge, not because everybody had lots of kids but because we knew great aunts and uncles, cousins of grandparents, 2nd and 3rd cousins, etc. Nobody of the older generations is left except my aunt - my dad's baby sister and her husband. And I miss all those relatives a lot.

It's strange being the 'senior' generation now - I don't feel old enough for this. When we visit my family in the US we see my siblings, son, grandkids, nieces and nephews, and grand nieces and nephews.
 
This is a great topic. While I'm delighted more than words can say to be a grandmother, I haven't made the shift yet to absorb that word with "grand" in it is me now. There's this tug-of-war of wanting to enjoy the benefits of being a senior and early-ish retirement, and then on the other side of it rebelling about seems to be the expected behavior, some of which seems more sedate than I'm ready for. I can see it's going to take a lot of time to work out what it means, and by then of course it will have changed.

I'm the first of my siblings to have a grandchild, but in so many ways I still feel like that 20-year old rockin' guitar player in a band that I was looking forward to the possibilities of life ahead. I was lucky to know both of my great grandmothers. One of my grandmothers died only a few years ago at age 106, so I'm hoping to live long enough to know a great grandchild. But in the meantime, I'm trying to figure out this "grand" part and how to make it uniquely my own and not imitate my grandmothers.
 

I was also the first of my siblings to become a mother and a grandmother. When my oldest granddaughter was born 11 years ago I didn't want to be called 'grandma'. Grandma still felt like my grandmothers, or my mother. So she calls me 'Nana'. However, the younger one who is 6 has started calling me grandma, and now I'm fine with that.

I am nearly 10 years older than my youngest sibling. I married early and had my first child at age 19. This brother married in his 30's and had his first child a few years later. So my sons are actually old enough to be the parent of my brother's kids! My oldest is 45 and my brother's youngest is 17.
 
What a great topic! Thank you:confused: Makes me think...Back in the day say 1970. I was a school age kid. We had family reunions every year. They would rent a park area for the day. Aunts, Uncles, Cousins, even married in long lost relations. It was awesome...so many youngin's...while some family cracked their beers and stogies, Uncle Ronnie would start a softball game or beanbag toss. So many people and so much food...it would last till long after dark.

Now<<<sigh>>> My Dad at 94 is the eldest left...n' he's a bit fragile sometimes. My generation of cousins? Crap, I'm creaky sometimes but I can run circles around the one's still left. My boy's baby is the new generation, he'll be a year in October. Maybe one of four or five infants. Everyone else is on the way out. Sad how families can change ya know?
 
I still have 2 Aunts, who are in their late 80's/early 90's...which gives my family 5 generations of living people. When these old Aunts pass, my generation will be the "elders"...and a couple of the great grandkids may be old enough to create another "5th generation". Oh, Well, I may be getting older, but I Refuse to Grow up.
 
I am the youngest of 15 children.
Three of my siblings died before I was born.
Only two of my older siblings are still living.
I have nieces and nephews I have never met.
I gave up counting when I reached 29 nieces and nephews, and now I have great nieces and nephews, great, great nieces and nephews, and great, great, great nieces and nephews I will never meet.
Sometimes big families can be good, but it hasn't happened with mine.
 
My father was one of nine children and my mother one of 14 so we had the potential to be a huge family, however the two family's did not mix and members of each family were not close , so there are many relatives I've never met or even know of.

Being the middle child of three and estranged from my siblings my family now exists of myself and my daughter, I would've loved a large close family with parties, holidays and plenty of company and it seems a shame there are all these people somewhere in the world related to me and I havnt got a clue where they are.....
 
Hey there Wren, I have two birth daughter's that %$&^ing shredded the family tree. I know how it is. But you build on what you still have. My oldest has a baby boy and I am Grandma. He has family on our side and Mommy's side in Thailand. It is what it is.
 
I still have three aunts, mother's sisters. One lives down in Fla, she has become senile I hear. There is one that moved into a retirement community without giving anyone her forwarding address.(strange) The youngest one is not healthy, saw her last year. I am one of four, have an older brother, sister, and a younger brother. We stay in touch with each other, see each other maybe a couple times a year, the older ones live out of state. We call, send cards and emails. But yes, we are the old heads now. My "baby" will be 46 next week! Several nieces are in their 50's now and I have grandchildren that are grown. My brother was a great-grandfather at 64!
 
Lovely big family Carla, sadly fureverywhere, my daughter can't have children so we're the last men standing !

As you say, it is what it is, I certainly don't dwell on it, and have a few very close friends who are like a family to me
 
Goldfynche said:
My mother had one sister and three brothers. One brother we lost touch with, a long time ago. But we were originally quite a large family. Although I was an only child. I have three cousins, all girls, and now we are all that is left of my generation.
The point I'm trying to make is that it feels really weird being the senior members of the family. I have two children and each of my cousins has a single child.
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I feel the same, all that's left now are my brother and two sisters. My parents, aunts, and uncles (which there where many) have all passed on.
 
I don't have any older relatives left, at least none that I know of. My family on both sides scattered after the War and everyone lost touch. Of my generation, there's only my sister and me left, as far as I know.
 
My brothers and sister and I are the senior members of our family who are left. I watched each one of my father's family pass and then my father as he was the youngest. Now I fear for the passing of my siblings but I am trying to be prepared. I know it is going to happen. I hope I go before they do, though.
 
Things were wonderful when I was growing up. My Mom had 5 Brothers and 5 sisters and we all lived close to one another. Now only 1 Aunt is left and she is 99 yrs old. I had over 80 first cousins. My Dad had 1 Brother and 5 Sisters and they are all gone now. They also had a lot of children. Sadly now many many of my cousins are gone.My older Brother passed last year, and now it is just me and my sister.I have 2 children and 3 Grandchildren. My 2 Grandsons are 20 and 18 and in college. My Granddaughter is 6 yrs old. How I wish they could have had all the family I had around me growing up. We had such wonderful times together.
 
My father was second oldest of 10, my mother oldest of 6. Both born in 1923
I have over 30 first cousins.
My son has 9 first cousins.
My two grandsons have -0- first cousins.
 
My dad was part of a huge family, too; I think it was 9. Dad was born in 1913. During the Depression my grandparents took in several "train boys," who were orphans and raised them as part of the family, too. I wonder how in the world people managed to keep those big families fed -- especially during the Depression years. Grandpa had a little farm in Arkansas, so I guess that helped. I wish they were still alive so I could ask them some questions about their lives, but all of that generation is gone.
 
We are a close family emotionally and for the most part geographically. My family lives longer than any humans have a right to, so I grew up knowing many many old wrinkly musty smelling relatives. I knew all four of my great grandparents and their relatives. My family is probably more nuclear than most as four families live on our original farm that the family was awarded in 1823. My father is the oldest living member. My grandson and his family are moving into the farmhouse soon and Dad will be going to my sons house.
My great grandson will have our home if the tradition continues.
When my father passes we will take him up on the hill and lay him to rest with our ancestors and our children will do the same for us.

We had dad's birthday a week ago and there were thirty people there that were the fruit of his loins.
 
I've amused my family for a number of years now by likening it to that "I Love Lucy" episode with the candy conveyor belt. I'm the lead piece of candy now. As long as I haven't gone in the dumper or been eaten, every one else is safe. Recently we had a group family photo taken and it dawned on me that in the last several taken, I am seated in "The Death Chair" holding my cane surrounded by smiling younger types making me look bad. Its nice being the patriarch though. I don't have to clean up. :banana:

I guess I missed the original point. We were pretty much a nuclear family. Had two sons. One recently died. The other had two grandsons. I had a brother, half brother and half sister. One half brother left. My girl has gone too, so its just my brother, son and two grandsons. My brother is nine years my junior, so there is no one left for me to say "Hey remember when"' about my growing up years. When I go, a lot of people will basically disappear from human memory. So.., meanwhile ..:cheers1: Party on!
 
Family life was good back then and is today, at least in our case. I was an only child but my mother had 4 siblings and the family always had yearly reunions which I enjoyed immensely.

My wife and I had 4 kids, each of whom married and between them, they spawned 13 grandkids, and now 5 great grands, the last little guy being born last week. One more little girl is due to arrive at the beginning of November. Our whole family, with the exception of one grandson and his wife, live within 1-1/2 hours driving time of our home. Needless to say, when we all gather, the number is in the 20's or 30's, depending on some folks work schedules. We have an annual outing each year and the great majority of us gather at Christmas and Thanksgiving, although with in-law families, some of the kids do "double duty" spending a bit of time with each family.

To a great degree, our social life revolves around family and that's how we prefer it. Amazingly, there's never been any dissension among family members and the interaction that our grown children and the grandkids have is very rewarding for us to see, here in our twilight years.
 
DaveA said:
Family life was good back then and is today, at least in our case. I was an only child but my mother had 4 siblings and the family always had yearly reunions which I enjoyed immensely.

My wife and I had 4 kids, each of whom married and between them, they spawned 13 grandkids, and now 5 great grands, the last little guy being born last week. One more little girl is due to arrive at the beginning of November. Our whole family, with the exception of one grandson and his wife, live within 1-1/2 hours driving time of our home. Needless to say, when we all gather, the number is in the 20's or 30's, depending on some folks work schedules. We have an annual outing each year and the great majority of us gather at Christmas and Thanksgiving, although with in-law families, some of the kids do "double duty" spending a bit of time with each family.

To a great degree, our social life revolves around family and that's how we prefer it. Amazingly, there's never been any dissension among family members and the interaction that our grown children and the grandkids have is very rewarding for us to see, here in our twilight years.
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Sounds like an incredibly happy family! You must have raised your kids right! :)

Oh, and congrats on the newest great grands!
 
My paternal grandmother was the glue that kept our family together, when she died we all just drifted apart.

The grandparents, parents, aunts and uncles are all gone now.

I have two brothers and a sister. I talk to my brothers every few years and my sister 3 or 4 times a year.

The difficult thing for me is that my brothers and sister are the only people left that knew the oldtimers in our family and shared so many common experiences.

If I share a story about those people with anyone else it's just the ramblings of an old fool!
 

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