“‘You’re closer to the end than the beginning.’

This is what really fucks me up.

I’m not done yet!”

An older woman wearing a sweater sits at a kitchen counter with a thoughtful expression, hand on neck, a glass of water in front

“I am in my late 40s.

My grandma is 90, but my papa, father, and mother have all passed.

I find myself struggling with contemplating what death will be like.

Three people enjoying coffee and conversation outdoors at a cafe

I have all-out panic attacks trying to imagine what ‘nothing’ feels like.

Yet, I can’t get my head to stop thinking about it.”

abourque

3.

A woman is at the dentist, undergoing a dental check-up. The dentist, wearing blue gloves, is using dental tools to examine her mouth

“I’m in my mid-30s and was once more extroverted.

It used to make me so anxious, but now I’m thankful for those who stayed.

I guess the friendships that survive are the low-maintenance ones since everyone has their own life to live.

A person outdoors, gripping their knee with both hands, possibly indicating pain or injury. A wedding ring is visible on their left hand

Some of my friends are married with kids, while I’m still single.

I don’t mind being a godparent to their kids, though!”

You stop trying to change things and start letting go of what doesn’t work.

A person is sitting on a bed near a window, holding a small child. The scene looks peaceful with greenery visible outside the window

I’m known as a rock now to my friends and coworkers, someone who isn’t fazed easily.

Experience can be freeing; I’ve been through utter hell by now.

Why would the small things matter when I’ve seen so much worse?"

Older woman, wearing a short-sleeve shirt and necklace, rests her head on her hand, looking pensively at a wooden table

baddaughter

5.

“How much taking care of your teeth matters.

It’s one of the most important things you’re free to possibly do for your health.

Older man gazes pensively out a window with his hand on his cheek. The background shows a blurred building and some greenery

It’s six minutes of your day total, but it saves you DECADES of problems over time.

My older sister is in her 40s and has been very neglectful with her teeth.

“I’m 54 now, and it is so true that everyone relies on us.

An elderly couple, seated, holding hands, and smiling warmly at each other. The man wears a sweater vest; the woman in a cardigan. A lamp is on a table beside them.

Add working full-time to it; it is pure and utter exhaustion.”

kepredo

7.

“It’s so much easier to hurt myself now.

A person stands alone on a beach, looking at the ocean with hands clasped behind their back.

I tore my ACL, stepping sideways into a row of seats on an airplane!

Also, at 52, I’m now plagued by hot flashes and night sweats.

Ah, the joys of perimenopause.

Elderly woman with short white hair touching her shoulder and appearing to be in pain, sitting in a cozy living room

My brain still tells me I’m young, but my body is giving me the middle finger!”

Fast forward to now, and I find that I struggle to keep up with the daily mental grind.

I remember old managers who just sat in the office all the time, and now I realize why.

Two women sit on a couch in a casual home setting. The older woman holds a phone and gestures while speaking. The younger woman listens, resting her hand on her head

It takes all you got just to keep up.”

nastyhawk40

9.

“Parenting later in life can be exhausting.

I adopted my son as a single parent later in life.

He was born when I was 41 years old.

It’s a far cry from having his two older brothers when I was 22 and 28.

“you could wake up and suddenly have a new crippling disease.

aprilp13

11.

I find myself postponing what needs to be done.

Only at that time of your life do you really understand what your parents felt when they aged.

I wish I had been more gentle with them.”

“How quickly my vision is declining.

I have always needed glasses/contacts, but now my close vision is going too.

It seemed to happen overnight.”

janemlane

13.

“The older you get, the less people want to talk to you, including family.

You become a burden, and the loneliness starts to creep in.

You still want to do things, but your physical body won’t let you.

I am 68 and decided to change the oil in my motor home.

Two days later, I had it finished.

Grandkids are the greatest, but parents can’t be bothered to bring them around.

You see less and less of your family, which works for them but not for the older folks.

So you stay quiet and lonely.”

14.“Paranoia!

It didn’t exist till I hit my 50s.

You’re just always worried you’re running out of time, and your number is next!”

pinkunicorn308

15.

“I turned 58 two days ago.

“The unnecessarily complicated technology maze.

The iPad-sized instrumentation in new cars is needlessly complex and a dangerous distraction while driving.

I just figured out how to use GPS navigation apps on my iPhone plugged into the cigarette lighter.

(Yes, my car is that old.)”

mellowtortoise855

17.

Most of your childhood friends are either gone or not active anymore, and that’s how loneliness starts.

Having kids in early adulthood may help sometimes.

My kids are the essential alternatives for my happiness even though we live a world apart.”

“Incontinence is common and a bigger problem than you may have thought.

Also, incontinence products are expensive.”

boringmeat53

19.

“Movements that you could do without thinking as a young person can take you out.

I demonstrated a cartwheel to my daughter a decade ago and thought I was going to die.

I went to jump off a two-foot wall the other day and barely landed without hurting myself.

I truly felt completely unstable.

I didn’t expect this, but at 50, it slowly creeps up on you.

The worst thing is that your mind still thinks you’re twentysomething and invincible!”

cheesyzebra478

21.

Note: Some responses have been edited for length and/or clarity.