Regrets?

My friend and her husband are both only children. There were a couple of aunts/uncles but they are long gone.

They have their own 2 children now plus 6 grandchildren. She says she is glad now they had no siblings because there were no fallings out over elderly parent care, care homes, selling homes, Wills etc.

I was an only child. So was my father. My mother was one of two. My uncle died young.

There is only me but I don't miss the family I didn't have.

I was never lonely as a child and had very close friends as a girl and young woman. One was, I suppose, the brother I never had - but without the baggage of actually being one!

The only time I ever really thought I'd like a sibling was when my mother was dying.

My close friend said she envied me making decisions in the latter stages for my mum as her family of four brothers and sisters couldn't agree on what wax best for her mum who was very ill for years. When she helped me after mum had died she ssid something like "clearing the house and dealing with your mum's things is so much easier when you don't have siblings arguing about what to do and putting unreasonable time frames on it".

I feel blessed to have had great and loving parents. That is enough for me.

I can sympathise, being an only child of an only child, although my mother had siblings. They all lived hundreds of miles away so I've no cousins nearby and all aunties and uncles have now passed on. So basically it's just me, two children and three grandchildren. Thankfully one granddaughter lives nearby and I see her and her mum quite often. But like you, I often wonder what it would be like to have siblings and I'm pretty sure I would have treasured them.

I have done stacks of family history research and I think that is me trying to build a family for myself. Maybe you should try it. You will find you have a large family, even if they are all deceased. I have forged close connections with relatives who are researching my ancestors, maybe 3rd cousins. When you exchange photos and information you can get quite close to your ancestors' lives and almost feel like you know them.

I'm in the same boat as you jenpax no blood relatives apart from my children and grandchildren. Can't say it has ever really bothered me though.
My husband has several siblings and they are always falling out and not speaking to each other. My husband is the only one who speaks to all the siblings.

That's sad, jenpax.

I have 2 brothers and would have loved a sister especially when I see our 3 together. DH has 3 brothers so I have (or had) 5 sisters in law, 2 of whom I get on with really well but it's not quite the same.

Being a sibling is great if you get on well - but nothing to envy if you don't.