topic Re: Realizing Everyone In A Photo Is Gone..... in Community Chat

Realizing Everyone In A Photo Is Gone.....

CrazyKittyLvr2 — Wed, 01 Dec 2021 00:44:05 GMT

but you. DD and I went to visit my brother-in-law, 2 nieces & their families on Saurday. I seemed strange being in my childhood home with my siser gone.

In going thru a ton of old pictures I found one from 1967. Dad, Mom, my sister and I, went to Niagra Falls. My best friend came with us. She and I were a couple months shy of 17..

There was a pic of Mom, Sis, friend and myself. Dad manned the Kodak.

It hit me that I am the only on left of everyone on that trip.

Re: Realizing Everyone In A Photo Is Gone.....

On It — Wed, 01 Dec 2021 00:47:59 GMT

@CrazyKittyLvr2 I think that may be the most difficult part of aging.

Re: Realizing Everyone In A Photo Is Gone.....

golding76 — Wed, 01 Dec 2021 00:51:02 GMT

I am familiar with that pain. When you think about those who knew you the longest and the most intimately -- and that they are all now gone -- you can feel mighty lonely. It hurts deeply.

Whenever I think about this and that the few people I once knew will eventually leave (as I will), I can better understand why some older people no longer feel a great desire to remain.

Re: Realizing Everyone In A Photo Is Gone.....

CrazyKittyLvr2 — Wed, 01 Dec 2021 01:07:16 GMT

While I obviously knew they are all gone, seeing us all together in one pic was kind a jolt.

Re: Realizing Everyone In A Photo Is Gone.....

PhilaLady1 — Wed, 01 Dec 2021 01:13:02 GMT

I completely get it. I don't look at pictures anymore at all. It is too hard for me to look back when most are gone.

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SilleeMee — Wed, 01 Dec 2021 01:17:41 GMT

I know the feeling. I lost my entire family when I was in my 40s. I'm 66 now and the sadness never goes away. I'm a lone survivor, no kids or a SO. Holidays are the worst.

Re: Realizing Everyone In A Photo Is Gone.....

lynnie61 — Wed, 01 Dec 2021 01:41:23 GMT

@SilleeMee you have wonderful posters here that care and enjoy your threads. Please take care. So many of the same posters (and possible new friends) on the other forum too! You always give great beauty advice.

I sometimes feel lost with part of my family gone. I can’t imagine losing all of them in my 40s. I’m 60 now.

Re: Realizing Everyone In A Photo Is Gone.....

hckynutjohn — Wed, 01 Dec 2021 01:47:03 GMT

@CrazyKittyLvr2

Don't have a lot of pictures of our immediate family with all of us together. Only ones left are my older sister and myself. I do not keep them in a place where they are easily seen. Just look at them at times to "remember when"!

My older sister is 88, but is physically and mentally decades younger. That is a down side of adding up chronological years. As we move on, many that were present in much of our life, are gone. It is something i never allow myself to dwell on often.

hckynut

Re: Realizing Everyone In A Photo Is Gone.....

Lucky Charm — Wed, 01 Dec 2021 01:53:07 GMT

I'm so sorry you lost your sister, that's got to be hard. I can't even imagine. And especially if she lived in your childhood home. Going back there would be hard-- without her.

That said, I love looking at pictures of those who are gone. It's my only real connection, besides the memories.

This is going to sound really weird, but I love looking at Census Reports from 1900 to 1940 because I just imagine the census worker sitting in the *parlor* asking the questions, and my long gone loved ones are answering the questions. I wish I could see them doing that!

Re: Realizing Everyone In A Photo Is Gone.....

BoopOMatic — Wed, 01 Dec 2021 02:01:09 GMT

I understand because it occurred to me one day there are more people who are dead that I loved than people who are alive.

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Sooner — Wed, 01 Dec 2021 02:34:30 GMT

If you are an only child of older parents, this is a fact of life possibly earlier in your life than most. My cousins were mostly old enough to be my parents.

One member is still alive, but has dementia. There are a couple just a few years older, but I haven't seen them in years.

So, I'm here. And I'm very happy to be here. You can think about them sometimes and think about good memories you are fortunate to have, or dwell on it and be sad.

Re: Realizing Everyone In A Photo Is Gone.....

Iwantcoffee — Wed, 01 Dec 2021 02:40:16 GMT

I have a photo that is over 50 years old of myself, my parents, grandparents and my dad's brother and his wife. I am the only one living. I loved them all dearly and miss them very much.

I grieve never having siblings or a large extended family.

The most painful loss was my son. No words.

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chessylady — Wed, 01 Dec 2021 02:44:38 GMT

My Dad's 95 and is in hospice with terminal cancer. He lives in a care home where he receives excellent care. I am the eldest of 4 children. There is a story that all your family is lined up in chronological order in front of a cliff. As each member falls off the cliff( dies) the next person then stands in front of the cliff. I am next up.

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gardenman — Wed, 01 Dec 2021 12:12:08 GMT

It's funny as I have three of the picture frames with ten to fifteen family photos in each of them and of all the pictures, only one has anyone but me that's still alive. And she's an aunt who lives far away. Being the sole survivor is both good and bad. It's good as you don't have to worry about those you leave behind and there will be lots of people waiting on the other side for you. The bad is you're on your own. When you're young there's a long list of people you can call on for help. Now, I'm all that's left. It takes some getting used to. I go to the hospital and they ask, "Who's your emergency contact?" And there's no one who pops to mind.

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qualitygal — Wed, 01 Dec 2021 12:42:33 GMT

Sometimes the sadness of those memories, is overwhelmingly sad to me. I try to remember the good times of the day that picture was taken in.

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qualitygal — Wed, 01 Dec 2021 12:47:28 GMT

@chessylady wrote:
My Dad's 95 and is in hospice with terminal cancer. He lives in a care home where he receives excellent care. I am the eldest of 4 children. There is a story that all your family is lined up in chronological order in front of a cliff. As each member falls off the cliff( dies) the next person then stands in front of the cliff. I am next up.

Trust me on this, it doesn't always happen that way.

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bonnielu — Wed, 01 Dec 2021 13:03:43 GMT

I have pictures like that also. Brings back good memories and good times. When I am gone I hope someone has my picture and I hope they remember me in a way that reflects what I have stood and worked for all my lifetime. I want to be a role model. My fathers advice. Put people first, never things. Do that and you will have a good life. And my favorite------ G-d's greatest gift is a good nights sleep. You go to bed never having intentionally causing someone harm. You can sleep well. Every morning I wake up saying, " Today is the first day of the rest of my life, make it count."

Re: Realizing Everyone In A Photo Is Gone.....

Judaline — Wed, 01 Dec 2021 13:05:20 GMT

Maybe a little off topic. Too sad to talk about my photos but I was watching Rebel Without a Cause the other day and I thought, they're all dead!!! James Dean, Natalie Wood, Sal Mineo, Nick Adams!! All young!! It really got to me. Only "Buzz" is still with us-Corey Allen.

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beckyb1012 — Wed, 01 Dec 2021 15:09:55 GMT

When I lost my brother in Feb. of this year I became the last one of our immediate family. Mom, Dad, little sister and little brother all gone ahead of me. I always knew one of us would be the last one standing but I never thought it would be me, the oldest child and only in my 50's. It is a very strange feeling.