Lori Cohen Ransohoff also has regrets. She was married to Dr. Joseph Ransohoff, a neurosurgeon 41 years her senior. When he died in 2001, their children — Jake, then 11, and Jade, 5 — were hit hard.It's selfish. It's the final indulgence in a life full of indulgences. There will be more of it as the Boomers who opted out of procreation decide at 70 to find out what experience man they missed.
“I don’t ever really remember preparing the kids,” Mrs. Ransohoff said. “He was so healthy I just took it for granted. I never thought that far ahead. Looking back, I realize that was foolish. Now I tell my daughter, ‘Maybe you shouldn’t marry an older man.’ ”
Friday, April 13, 2007
Old Dudes As Fathers
New York Times writer Thomas Vinciguerra revisits the families where the man entered fatherhood in his 60s and 70s: He's Not My Grandpa, He's My Dad. Guess what? Some of the fathers are dead. Guess what? Other of the fathers are sick. Guess what? The surviving mom have second thoughts. Guess what? The kids miss their dads.
Let me get this straight.
ReplyDeleteThey married and started having their Mini-Mes in their 60s and 70s. (Seventy years YOUNG! *CELEBRITIES* do it! All the time!)
Now their health is failing and/or they're dying off when their Mini-Mes are still real young.
"How could that be happening?" (Shriek in best Michael Jackson castrato voice) "I'M YOUNG! I'M YOUNG! I'M YOUNG! I'M YOUNG! I'M YOUNG!"
(This is from someone who's 51 and was never able to marry -- I was way too nerdy to be attractive to women.)