valentine

Sad he was alone, but perhaps that is what he wanted. It is a good thing that you made the call for a wellness check.

S2KRAY

My Dad took his life at age 59. I found him in my house. It still haunts me. I was cleaning out boxes yesterday full of old photos. There was one of him and 2 friends toasting at an event. It was a very sad moment. So, live life to the fullest, surround yourself with family and friends, be kind to others and talk to God because you never know the time when he will take you.

MsPerky

You don't have to answer this but were there any indications ahead of time that this might happen? It is very, very sad. And such a trauma for you to go through. Looking at old photos can certainly be bittersweet.

hecash

My son is a musician and the drummer in a very well known Chicago cover band. The band was led by the singer, Erik Ortiz, who had just got through a two year journey to lose almost 150 lbs. He was 38 and died two weeks ago of heart attack while exercising. The local Chicago TV stations for whom they had done intro or background music each had a memorial moment and one of the local clubs actually put up a memorial with overhead lighting of his empty chair with his guitar leaned against it. I'm frankly heartbroken. He was a fine young man. Geez, I'm crying again. I was very fond of him.

dlq04

Sorry for your loss Harry. We just got an email yesterday that a 59 year old son of friends of ours died of cancer. A parent should never have to bury a child but life is not always fair.

MsPerky

Wow...very sad. To go through all that effort and not be rewarded with a longer, healthier life. But a very nice remembrance.

zeroptzero

The people I was referring to were ones who could not take care of themselves yet lived alone, with little or no family to assist. Most with mental or physical issues that hamper their ability to leave their home.

Honda 367

^ That really sounds tough. That must be really difficult for those people as well as people around who see the coming disaster in slow motion. My neighbor was a very proud and confident individual. He took pride in his independence and that's the way he was with his children as well. He told them that they really didn't have to call him. What do you do with situation like that? Finding that fine balance of honoring their wishes and at the same time checking up on them on a regular basis is much easier said than done, especially if those people are your own parent.

zeroptzero

Yeah it actually weighs on me whenever I see people in that situation - living alone in an apartment and very close to being helpless . In my own mind I actually think to myself that I hope to be dead before I ever get to that stage in my life, I make a distinction between living life and being alive, quality of life is important. I am not saying the other people would be better off dead, it is just a situation I don't ever want to be in.

Now we have some retirement homes that are basically cruise ships on land, where the wealthier older people can reside and everyday seems like a party compared to the ones that I see secluded in their own homes/apartments alone and mostly helpless.

Honda 367

[QUOTE=zeroptzero;24781498]Yeah it actually weighs on me whenever I see people in that situation - living alone in an apartment and very close to being helpless . In my own mind I actually think to myself that I hope to be dead before I ever get to that stage in my life, I make a distinction between living life and being alive, quality of life is important. I am not saying the other people would be better off dead, it is just a situation I don't ever want to be in.

I understand what you are saying. I share your concern about what lies ahead. No one can see what will happen in the next 10-20 years and beyond. I am sure those people who are in the predicament they are in now ever thought they would be where they are. It is a gate we have to walk through as nothing is guaranteed such as our health and longevity of our loved ones. My hope is to live reasonably healthy with my wife as long as God has allotted us. As I get older, I think more on these things and at times makes me feel sad for the day when that ultimate separation takes place. I tell my wife that the last face I want to see as I am breathing out my last breath is to see her face that is if I go first.