Everyday people we miss

My parents had twelve siblings between them so I enjoyed a childhood amongst many aunts, uncles and cousins. The aunts and uncles have all died, and many of the cousins too. My DD now lives on the street where I was born, as was my mother and her siblings. I still visited an aunt and uncle there until 1970. The house is no longer standing, but I yearn for those close family ties every week when I walk along that street.

I so know what you mean.
I was wondering recently why a day out nowadays can mean shopping or a visit out somewhere.
It used to be a lot more of, visit family.

Lived have in our home for forty years. We were only the second family with toddler/ babies to move in to the close for 30 odd years; all the other residents been there since their children were babies. One house had been occupied by the Sam family for50+ years. Now there are only couples, their children now grown up with family of their own. We'll only move when we can no longer cope and the next lot of residents hopefully will be as happy as we have been.

We bought our house from a couple who had been married for over forty years, and the house had been new when they married. I felt the couple and the house were pretty old; now we have been married far longer, the house is now almost one hundred years old. We have seen so many friends and neighbours die in this time. It is sad; I think of those dear familiar faces, the cheerful banter across the gardens.
I have been told that to be nostalgic and sentimental is quite destructive. 'Hard not to indulge at times.

I spent all my school years in the same house, but moved for University. Then for a first job. Stayed there for ages. Got bored. Moved to another hemisphere. Had kids,moved back to UK , but a different city, then moved again. Im not very good at hanging on to people. I am envious of those who still meet up with school friends, toddler group, mums, work colleagues.

I'm afraid it's just the circle of life. Our friendly little cul de sac of people is still good. Us older ones love and interact with the young couples and youngsters. Also visiting grandchildren have kids to play with when here.

Absolutely beautiful Shinamae - not virtue signalling at all, just sharing lovely memories.

Today I and my OH miss my lovely much loved MIL .We lost her just before Christmas 2021 and its her birthday this week ,our second without her.
We're both grieving her and its worse than last year when we had all the house clearing ,selling etc to keep our minds busy .
We've lost so many family and friends since Covid and its not over yet we have two friends who were given a year to live the same week MIL died.Thankfully both still here ,one doing much better than the other but when the phone rings late at night my heart skips a beat .Life can be shit ,cant it?

For a long time I have been telling my DD and her partner that they should see more of their oldest friends. They tend to meet up en masse around once a year, but then they never seem to have much contact. Then, last year, one of them killed himself, and one narrowly escaped dying of a brain tumour. I think it was a wake up call for all the rest that life and friendship is something we need to nurture, because you simply never know….