The 10 Hardest Truths in Life According to Boomers

An internet user recently asked an online forum, “What is the hardest thing to accept in life?” After some collective deliberation, here are their honest opinions. Do you agree?

#1 You’re Not Young Forever

“That we are young for so long. Then we’re not,” a user writes. I am Gen X, and I am feeling this one. “Not everyone gets to be old. So, it’s a privilege. But it’s mind-blowing to know that I didn’t have crepey skin three years ago. Now – when I slightly bump my arm into anything, it will leave a purple-ish mark for two weeks. I can’t have spicy foods too late in the afternoon.”

#2 Not Everything Comes Around That Goes Around

A hard lesson in life to accept is “That bad things happen to good people and bad people get away with stuff. Karma doesn’t always happen.”

#3 One Day No One Will Know Your Name

Many boomers agreed with one statement, “Someday – long after you pass, your name will be said for the last time and never spoken again.” That is a sobering thought.

#4 Everyone You Know Will Die One Day

A commenter states their most challenging realization was “That everyone you love and grew up with is going to die off one at a time, and it’s incredibly sad when that starts happening.” It is a horrible and sobering part of life. Another commenter adds that all the celebrities you grew to love die, too.

#5 They Grow Up Too Fast

One Father revealed, “You will be holding your child, and one day you will put them down, never to pick them up again. As the father of three grown adults, that one hits really hard.”

#6 What You Are Interested In Talking About Changes

A boomer commenter shares, “Phone conversations with friends and family used to be about vacations, concerts, and gossip. Now it’s all about tests, medications, and the latest thing our body does to betray us.”

#7 A Hard Truth For Partners

One painful truth is that someday, one of you in your partnership will be alone. It is a really difficult realization but one that everyone eventually faces.

#8 You Aren’t As Smart As You Think You Are

A lot of boomers confess that they realized as they got older that they aren’t as smart as they once thought. A commenter admits, “When I was a teenager, my Dad’s saying to me was, ‘I wish I were half as smart as you think you are.’ Now, it makes sense.”

#9 Life Isn’t Fair

We have all heard the phrase: “Life is not fair.” As you grow older, the harsh reality of that truth really sets in. People don’t always get what they want, the hard work doesn’t always yield results, and those who suffer aren’t always the bad people.

#10 Time If Your Most Precious Commodity

“Time cannot be reclaimed.” A commenter shares that their dad frequently quoted these Guy Lombardo song lyrics: “Enjoy yourself, it’s later than you think.” Another commenter shares something that my mother would say: My mother would say, “All the money in the world won’t buy a minute of time.”