An internet user recently asked an online boomer forum, “What is the hardest thing to accept in life?” After quick deliberation, here are their honest confessions. Do you agree?
1. You’re Young Until You’re Not
“That we are young for so long. Then we’re not,” a user writes. I am Gen X, and I am feeling this one. “Not everyone gets to be old. So, it’s a privilege. But it’s mind-blowing to know that I didn’t have crepey skin three years ago. Now —when I slightly bump my arm into anything, it will leave a purple-ish mark for two weeks. I can’t have spicy foods too late in the afternoon.”
2. What You Talk About Changes
Another boomer shares, “Phone conversations with friends and family used to be about vacations, concerts, and gossip. Now it’s all about tests, medications, and the latest thing our body does to betray us.”
3. They Grow Up Quickly
A father caused me to tear up with the revelation, “You will be holding your child, and one day you will put them down, never to pick them up again. As the father of three grown adults, that one hits really hard.”
4. What Goes Around Doesn’t Always Come Around
A lesson that is difficult to accept in life is “That bad things happen to good people and bad people get away with stuff. Karma doesn’t always happen.”
5. That Everyone You Grow Up With Dies
A forum member says their most challenging realization in life is “That everyone you love and grew up with is going to die off one at a time, and it’s incredibly sad when that starts happening.” I’ve lost both of my parents, and it is a horrible part of life. Another user adds that all the celebrities you grew to love die, too.
6. One Day Your Name Will No Longer Be Spoken
Several boomers agree with one who states, “Someday — long after you pass, your name will be said for the last time and never spoken again.” That is a sobering thought.
7. The One Day Truth for Partners
One of the more painful truths is that someday, either you or your partner will be alone. I’ve pondered on this one a little, and it hurts because I don’t want to know that pain, but I don’t want him to know it, either.
8. Life Is Not Fair
We have all heard the term: “Life is not fair.” Or “Life isn’t always fair.” But as you grow older, the reality of that truth is cemented. People don’t always win when doing the right things and don’t always suffer when doing the bad ones. My dad always said: “Life is not always fair. If it were, I’d be taller and playing in the big leagues.”
9. You’re Not as Smart as You Think You Are
Multiple boomers confess that they realized they aren’t as smart as they once thought they were. A member admits, “When I was a teenager, my Dad’s saying to me was, ‘I wish I were half as smart as you think you are.’ Now, it makes sense.”
10. Your Beloved Pets Will Die
Do you have pets you treat as your family? It’s hard when you lose a companion who’s been in your life and loved you unconditionally for so long. Everyone wishes their dog and cat friends lived longer.
11. Close Friends Can Become Enemies
“Sometimes your closest friend can become your worst enemy,” one writes. “I miss her all the time, but what she did was unforgivable. Now, ten years of fun memories come with a twinge of pain.”
12. The Arc of History
A boomer who insists on bursting this bubble suggests, “The arc of history does not in fact trend towards justice, but instead money and power.” A second contributor admits, “I spent too long hoping in the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. quote, ‘We shall overcome because the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.'”
13. The Only Change You Control Is You
“The only thing in life you can change is you.” This one hits home for many in the forum. They explain that you’ll have this realization after losing people you love and suffering heartaches and injustices.
14. Some People Won’t Like You
This truth was a very difficult one for me to accept — to the point of people pleasing and being manipulated and used. Some people will not like you, regardless of your actions. As one puts it: “You can be the juiciest peach, and there will always be someone who doesn’t like peaches.”
15. Time Cannot Be Reclaimed
“Time cannot be reclaimed.” A user shares that their old dad frequently quoted these Guy Lombardo song lyrics: “Enjoy yourself, it’s later than you think.” Another forum member shares something that my father would say: “My dad would say, “All the money in the world won’t buy a minute of time.”
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Elizabeth Ervin is the owner of Sober Healing. She is a freelance writer passionate about opioid recovery and has celebrated breaking free since 09-27-2013. She advocates for mental health awareness and encourages others to embrace healing, recovery, and Jesus.