Are you having the life you envisaged?

No not really, financially hard when you get divorced when kids are young having to work full time on just over minimum wage now that youngest is at University. My daughter who is 28 cant afford to move out and when the kids were younger you think they will be moved out and settled in their late 20s,

no, and at my age, it is too late to look for it
i should be content as i have no serious worries but never seem to feel happy

No - hadn’t realised there would be so many of us

I did until 10 years ago when my DH had a stroke, now all our retirement plans gone to pot and I'm just a glorified carer.

I’m 78 and have a lovely life to look back on with a long happy marriage, 3 sons and 5 grandchildren and a very happy career as a teacher after getting my degree as a mature student. I’m hoping for many more happy years with my new partner. I thought my life had finished when I lost my lovely husband of 58 years but met a lovely new man. Life is good.

No not really just accept the life I’ve got.

Yes I'm happy now we have retired and moved to the coast. DDs and son visit frequently with the DGC. Have dogs and nice neighbours and no money worries anymore but not wealthy just enough to live on now.
Have moved away from toxic sisters where I always felt bad after visiting them. Once a year is now enough. Have a good friend here it's great

Yes oh yes life is what you put into it. Very different to what I expected but wonderful just the same. Every day a blessing

Not quite but in my later years I have peace and joy, coping OK with aging problems and counting my blessings. Life is what you make it. Gratitude is a wonderful thing, remember your haves and forget your have nots.

Crap at the moment as I have just learnt that my partner has 6 months to live

Had no specific plan , started out doing the things I wanted
to do. Along the way i've had a couple of 'Brush yourself down and start all over again' moments and for the past 15 years have built a life I love.

Ive been happily married for 49 years with a Son 44 and Daughter 40. Both also happily married. Also 2 Granddaughters and 2 Grandsons. They all live quite near to us and love all being together at our home especially for monthly Sunday dinners.

No. My DH whom I met a party turned out to be extremely unsociable so we have few friends. My DS and DiL have difficult children and we don’t often see them. I’m a carer for three members of my family. I used to escape by travelling - either to see friends up north or exploring far flung countries but now I’m stuck here and frankly fed up.

Definitely not. Planned year or two of travelling anywhere and everywhere followed eventually by uni. Fell pregnant while taking A-levels and everything came to a halt. Had to find work to pay for self and child. Eventually married child's father whilst he continued uni studies so money very sparse. Difficult years but same for many others. Still married, comfortably off, had a decent life but in many ways still feel missed out on a lot of life and a decent, worthwhile career.

No. I thought I would get married, have children, retire at 60ish, live out old age with husband.

The reality is, I got married, had one child, divorced after 37 years of marriage, still working in mid-seventies.

Rant away we all need it sometimes.
My husband left me after 15 years . I met a lovely gent on line who is older than me but is kind and providing. When we met I explained what I was looking for was a best friend to be able to do things with. We have been together for 2 years now. I understand covid has stopped everyone doing what they want to do . At Christmas he had a bleed on the brain and the dog (huge dog he adopted for us to do more walking) broke my arm. Also I am caring for elderly parents and my father has terminal cancer. But I am so upset with my life that I stay awake every night crying and working out I will confront him. The thing is he does nothing but sit in the chair watching tv. He has no ambition. He does nothing for the big dog. I do the walking and poo clean ups etc etc.
I wanted to meet someone who would share fun times with me walking and just doing things like shopping together that I have always done on my own . I really want to leave but I have nowhere to go and at least I have a roof over my head and Bill's are getting paid. So when I seen your post I am wondering is everyone's later life the same.

Not sure. Not as much time in front for aspirations now compared to years ago ?
Many of my long term plans have had to be tweaked over the years. As a young woman I wanted to dance through daisy meadows forever with the man I loved..that changed. Saved hard for the future, had to cash those in, Wanted to live close to the kids, they moved out of area, Wanted to retire at 60 and go places with the other half and we all know what happened there. No retirement till 66 and blooming Covid restricting us all. Losing family and friends has been more painful than I ever imagined. Thinking of what my future may be like is far less important. I live in the moment. I take nothing for granted and bless the fact that for my age I am relatively healthy. I find a positive in each and every day and try not to dwell on things I can't do anything about. I am able to to finally do things for me after years of doing just for others and that feels nice.

Not at all , sadly.

I don't think I ever gave any thought to expectations. What I do know is I really enjoy where I am right now and where my future might take me, I would be will to change if I wasn't happy and I have never let the grass grow under my feet . We only have one life and we spend a long time dead. I just hope my health does stop my adventure.

Another ' no' .

I think fate took a wrong turning on the choice of partner, made too young, mainly due to low self esteem coupled with hormones affecting judgement at the time. Not that was all bad, but I expected, rightly or wrongly, more security, support and compatibility, and more time at home with the children when they were young, instead of having to work full time for 44 years without break, except for a few months maternity leave, and still working as expected retirement age changed before I got there.

I am really lucky, I love my life. No way I ever thought when I was young that we would have such a nice life style as we got older. We worked really hard but health and luck play such a large part in our lives. The things I am most grateful for are that (even after some problems) both my sons are happy and are nice people and that my husband and I are both healthy and happy. I have two lovely nearly grown up grandchildren and although there has been sadness along the way, I wouldn’t change a single thing.

I appreciate every day that this is probably the best it is ever going to get and that things will change again.

Is anyone?

Had an interesting life none of it planned apart from being a teacher! Hoped to be a gran but not going to happen as daughter now 40 and not in a relationship! Her previous one let her down badly after 13 years so lost her trust!
Don’t think it has been all plain sailing but things are ok and I am lucky to be 70 fairly fit, lots of interests etc , partner is ok too and we are NEVER getting married ??

Definitely not. So sad

Definitely not. Full time for mother aged 100 years. It is one disaster after another. Today the discharge notes from April 26th have not been received by the doctor. I read the relevant parts over the phone. Not acceptable
The pharmacist asks me what he should do?
I am not medically trained
Everyone rushes equipment to home including hospital bed. Mum just wants to die. So inhumane and wicked. I never thought I would live in a world where people would be treated so I humanely.