I have decided to relaunch this blog partly because I felt myself going off on a tangent (that in itself is not unusual) and partly because of something that was said to me recently that has given me pause for thought.
I am the last twig hanging onto the my particular branch of the family tree (well my maternal family side anyhow and the paternal side I’ll come on to). As the only child of an only child, brought up by a single parent, with my relationship status at best described as ‘complex’ and at worst ‘challenging’ who has not had children then I am perhaps the archetypal description of someone who after the death of the only parent they ever really knew am ‘alone in this world’.
But, finding yourself the ‘twig’ can also be down to estrangement – and much has been made of this is the media recently. You could come from a nuclear family of 4.2 and 0.5 of a Labrador but that is still no guarantee that as time goes on you won’t find it is ‘just me, myself and I’. Families do fall out and sadly nature does take it’s course and loved ones pass. In the event that you do not meet a life partner (then again they may go before you), and you do not procreate (assuming they do not remove themselves from your orbit) then you too can find yourself ‘alone’.
I read a rather depressing article recently about the end of nightlife since COVID and how Gen Z etc no longer socialise. My heart bleeds for these generations as not only are we nearer a cold war than ever, but they don’t even know the carefree, wild abandonment of dancing until dawn at a all night rave or, hobbling home with heels in hand after 5 hours of standing and dancing in the local night club with sticky floors. In case it’s not clear I am firmly Generation X.
I do have half siblings on my father’s side but despite some attempts by my half brother and complexities with my sisters and father(who died the same year as my mum) I am estranged from them. Sadly my half brother could not understand my mum’s health issues meaning I missed his daughter’s confirmation and thus I was cut from his life – ghosted never to be mentioned again. So, whilst a family I knew very briefly I can understand the void of estrangement and it was a comment around this that made me stop, and rethink.
This is as far as I will take this blog for now, but as I have said before I want to share my experiences not only to help me process my thoughts and feelings but, to give some help and comfort to others who find themselves in a similar position.
I have touched on this before and will also share about solo travel and other stories, life doesn’t have to be disappointing or lonely it can still be fulfilling – you just have to view it differently and I will cover some of my adventures in later blogs.