We always talk about the normal milestones of life. You walk, you talk, you go to school and you graduate. You get a job, get married, have a kid, retire and the end.
But no one ever really talks about those weird milestones in life that everyone seems to hit around a certain age that aren’t really fun or accomplishments. I’m talking about the times where the same thing seems to happen to a lot of people who are the same age that really aren’t milestones you want to hit, but are inevitable.
I first noticed it in college when it seemed like everyone was hitting the milestone of breaking up with their significant other from high school. It was like dominoes watching person after person change their Facebook relationship status from “In a relationship” to “Single”. It’s something a lot of us go through and it normally happens late Freshman year or Sophomore year.
And then it gets worse. Because we all were gifted a childhood pet by our parents around the same age. Some of us were barely walking when we got our first dog, some of us were a little older. But then that means that there was a good two years in my life where it felt like every person I knew had a dog that died. Because we’re all on similar timelines and we all have to hit that milestone eventually.
And yes, it gets even worse. We start to lose our grandparents, other family members, even our parents as we all get to a certain age. Again, it feels like dominoes. But we’re getting older and that means the people we’ve looked up to our whole life are getting older too.
These weird milestones of life that we all seem to hit around the same time are hard truths to swallow. But there is a little solace in the fact that we can at least go through it together.
Rosie Culture 
I can’t believe I’d never noticed these types of things before, until everyone’s parents started dying! I’m in my late 30’s but have friends in there 50’s BUT my parents were in their 40’s when they had me so we all line up as you say. Friends my own age all having kids and then trying to get through toddler tantrums totally alienated me as I’ve never wanted kids. It was almost like they were REALLY trying to persuade me to have a kid to JOIN IN. 😱
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Isn’t it crazy?? Once my friends start having kids I don’t know what I’ll do lol my little nieces and nephew have convinced me that I don’t need a kid of my own
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Aww, that’s sweet…I think. 😉😁
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My wife had the stepson when she was in college. She isn’t ready to be grandmother in her 40s, so she hopes the trauma of his little sister as an infant and currently a toddler will push him away from any desire for kids any time soon.
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Loss is inevitable, isn’t it. I remember my grandfather was not a cat person until he was. When I was a kid he brought home this scrappy little kitten that could barely walk and meow. Somehow they bonded. I swear they were inseparable. 17 years later they died within months of each other. There are so many steps in life that we climb. It is fascinating.
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Definitely and I feel like we get so wrapped up it’s hard to see those things. That’s such a sweet story about your grandfather
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This is an interesting post. I’ve always felt out of sync with everyone around me and their milestones. Not just because of the lack of college, marriage, and children, but because of the odd ages of my parents, and other differences. I feel like it would be a comfort to feel that camaraderie.
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Oh wow, this is so true. I noticed the couples in high school that I thought would last forever all broke up around the same time. & it’s so sad but, our family members passing away is definitely a hard truth to swallow that we will inevitably have to go through.
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I never hit these milestones on time. I didn’t really go on a first date until I was 27. I got my first real girlfriend when I was 40.
My friends were the high school social rejects and didn’t really get girlfriends until college. We all have our parents still. But, they are getting on in age and we will soon.
I am old enough to be my daughter’s grandfather, so things will be off a bit. I do worry that I might not live long enough to see some milestones.
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We’re all on our own timelines and all we can do is make the best of what we have 🙂
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I love my village (as I call my friends) because they’re all from different time periods in my life, but yet, we’re all the same age and we’re going through similar things. Good that you have friends you can count on!
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That’s interesting. As a late bloomer, I have to say that my milestones were pretty delayed. So while my peers were all making out with girls in secondary school, my first kiss would come years later. I’d find a career much later in life, and I’m now trying to actively better myself after spending my 20s and 30s just pissing my time away. Anyway, thanks for this post!
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All of these are true except the dating in high school. I didn’t date in high school or had a boyfriend until I was in university 😂 I still can’t believe I still have 2 grandparents (both in their late 90s!) I keep thinking, any day now we’re gonna get “that” phone call.
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Ugh the worst part is knowing how little time is left
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