Another milestone on the calendar to make me feel a little older.

[Mr.Bill]

Saturday would have been my dad's 100th birthday. He passed away in 1990 at the age of 66, but I still think about him. It just feels strange that the generation before me is now going to be 100 years old. It was just three years ago that I reached the date where I have lived longer than he did.

[rsdsharp]

1. My dad died at the age of 61, in 1969.

He would have been 116 last month.

[Mr.Bill]

2. Do you remember how you felt on his 100th birthday? n/t

[rsdsharp]

3. No, sorry. That was quite awhile ago.

[Fla Dem]

4. Felt the same way about my Mom. She passed at 62.

I think the hardest time was when I turned 62. As heartbroken as I was, I thought she had lived a good full life. I was only 28 at the time and 62 seemed old. When I reached my 60's it began to hit me how young she was to pass at 62 and how many years she could have been with her family enjoying life, how many years her kids missed her being in their lives. Now in my 70's, I think of both my Mom and Dad often. Dad was 80 when he passed and I'm not that far from that milestone. They both passed the 100 year mark a while ago.

[MuseRider]

5. It really is strange.

My Dad died when I was 19. This year Mothers Day was the 50th anniversary of his death. 2 days after that was the 26th anniversary of my Mothers death. My brother died 20 years ago this past December and the youngest is essentially dead...drugs have had him for 40+ years. I made my own family and am happy but boy do you start to feel odd and old, well 69 is getting up there, when you realize all of that.

[Mr.Bill]

6. When my mom died in 2014,

after the funeral services, my two older brothers and I walked out of the funeral home together. I looked at both of them and said "Well, we all got a little older today."

They nodded in agreement. Our last parent was gone. No one was left on earth to give us the unconditional love that only a mother can give. But we have our own families and life moves on. And now we become the ones that give that love to those younger than us.

One day some years ago I was feeling a longing for the past. I remembered the big family gatherings in back yards on summer days, playing with my many cousins. Now only two adults from those gatherings are still alive. Then we had a family gathering at my house and suddenly it hit me. We are still having those gatherings from my childhood. The only difference is I'm not one of the cousins, now I'm Grandpa. That realization made me feel a whole lot better.

And now, there is another generation. I have six great grandchildren. In a few months we are moving to my grandson's property into a manufactured home he is putting there for us. Two of those great grandchildren live there. They start kindergarten and first grade this fall.

[MuseRider]

7. That is wonderful news!

The people I know who are the happiest are living close to their grandchildren or great grandchildren. I am really happy for you. The occasions are different now, we are all spread out more and there is less need to gather all the time (I guess, I could use more of that myself) but it is just different. Enjoy spending the rest of your life amoung all that love. That makes me smile.