[Mears]

“Aging is miserable without the joy of children and grandchildren.”

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And what about those whose children and grandchildren live thousands of miles away?

They often depend on friends,and it works just fine for them.

.

[Antoninus]

And what about those whose children and grandchildren live thousands of miles away?

What about them? They are also quite sad, normally. And when they're in failing health, their kids aren't able to be there for them. For too many people, family is simply not a priority for them until it's too late.

They often depend on friends,and it works just fine for them.

That has not been my observation. Friends are able to walk away very easily when an elderly person really needs help. And often times, the friends themselves are too elderly to assist.