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What did you you think you would have by your current age that you don't?

(173 Posts)
CrazyUSA Sat 04-Jul-26 18:28:58

A husband.

colournanny Mon 06-Jul-26 19:05:49

Unfortunately me 2

Humbley Mon 06-Jul-26 19:10:39

To be happily married and have good health which I haven't either

JPB123 Mon 06-Jul-26 21:14:27

My lovely husband and more than 1 grandchild.

Tilly8 Mon 06-Jul-26 21:34:56

Never, ever thought I’d reach my seventies. Mum died early 50s and Dad early 60s. Thought I’d be lucky to reach late 50s 😁 so didn’t really plan for my seventies. Decent pensions have helped!

Kloppqueen Mon 06-Jul-26 21:50:41

My beautiful daughter, who died 6 months ago from cancer.

Kartush Mon 06-Jul-26 21:51:17

Common sense, maturity, wisdom all those things they tell you come with old age

dragonfly46 Mon 06-Jul-26 22:06:20

I never looked to the future but I am lucky as I can’t think of anything I would change.

Momac55 Mon 06-Jul-26 22:23:24

Grand children

Sueinkent Mon 06-Jul-26 22:43:17

Death.

Usedtobeblonde Mon 06-Jul-26 22:47:17

I thought I would have had a happier and more settled life than I have.
My H has died but that was not unexpected,he was 83 ,had dementia and cancer, sad but inevitable.
However my two AC , D in her 60’s my S in mid 50’s are both divorced and no new partners.
I would hazard that both are not particularly happy. I have 6 GC and two GGd’s.
I have reasonably good relationships but fairly distant with some of them so am content about that but the idealistic idea I had when I married is a pipe dream.
Perhaps it is for most people.

Wyllow3 Mon 06-Jul-26 23:21:08

I just didn't really think. Probably have a man around, which I don't, but it was divorce.

I liked the reply above Kartush said, "Common sense, maturity, wisdom all those things they tell you come with old age". 🧐

One day maybe.

NotSpaghetti Tue 07-Jul-26 00:52:26

I wonder when you were thinking CrazyUSA?
You said:

What did you you think you would have by your current age that you don't?

I immediately went back to my teen years and thought about what I expected when I was old(er).

What I thought about my old(er) age when I was in my 20s/ 40s/ 60s was very different to my teens - as understanding comes with life experience.

So what age were you thinking please?
And what age were other grandparents expecting they'd have grandchildren but don't?
Or motor homes or death but don't?

How old were people expecting these things?

Dempie55 Tue 07-Jul-26 00:55:45

A piano

MayBee70 Tue 07-Jul-26 01:16:28

Dempie55

A piano

You can have mine. I love it because my daughter used to play it and I have such fond memories of being upstairs and hearing her play it downstairs ( her two boys both play, too, which I think is lovely) but I only have a small house and it takes up so much room. A piano needs to be played sad

monami Tue 07-Jul-26 09:26:54

Warm loving children to look after me, didnt happen

leeds22 Tue 07-Jul-26 10:42:23

Not sure I imagined I would ever be this old.

DH and I both have reasonable health. Happy, successful children and ditto GCs. Live in a nice village, with good friends and neighbours, can't complain.

TiggyW Tue 07-Jul-26 13:21:48

A bungalow, with a flat garden in a flat road within walking distance of shops, and no HMOs nearby.

Cossy Tue 07-Jul-26 13:27:06

Peace & quiet

labazs Tue 07-Jul-26 14:30:01

i suppose its good i have been with my partner 10 years but i wish one of my previous relationships/marriages had worked out instead of leaving me with unhappy memories.
it would have been nice to own our own home though i am thankful for the lovely bungalow the housing association let us move to.
also the list of long term illness' keeps getting longer so i never thought i would have an old age (62) crippled with pain
finally i wish i had not lost my darling mum so young and losing my dad over 20 years ago. so many people still have their parents at my age

SporeRB01 Tue 07-Jul-26 14:55:12

Most people my age has grandchildren. I do not have any, not yet anyway but for me, it is a case of ‘You can't miss what you never had’.

If my DD were to tell me she is pregnant, both me and my DH will be worried since the hospitals in the city she lives have the worst track record in maternity care.

Her friend had a harrowing experience during childbirth, her baby was lucky to be alive.

NotSpaghetti Tue 07-Jul-26 16:51:56

TiggyW

A bungalow, with a flat garden in a flat road within walking distance of shops, and no HMOs nearby.

I don't think I knew anything about HMOs until about 1990.
At that point I don't think they were even known as that.

sparkle1234 Tue 07-Jul-26 17:35:59

I thought I would have grandchildren but I want my children to be happy and healthy and at the moment they are so I'm grateful for that . I just wish sometimes that other people would stop asking me as if my life is half empty or incomplete because I'm not a grandma . One thing I've realised is life just happens , you can't foresee or plan ahead . Make the most of every day .Life is short so be grateful for everyday you share with your loved ones . Today is a gift and tomorrow is never promised .

SpinDriftCoastal Tue 07-Jul-26 17:58:55

A bit frivolous but in the 1990s and early 2000s I thought I would have a Jaguar XK8. I rather fancied posing around in one in gunmetal grey. When the time came for me to be able to afford an old second hand one there is no way I could have driven it, let alone park it in my drive. I would have knocked down the front pillars. So, it remains a dream of the past.

PamelaJ1 Tue 07-Jul-26 18:17:09

FlexibleFriend

Wrinkles

Wow, tell us your secret!

I had a bit of an accident with my front teeth, I expected to have to have a plate. Then they invented implants.
Wonderful.

Gwyllt Tue 07-Jul-26 18:44:02

Ok hoped I would be able to play the guitar. I have tried several times but could never master it