Any other single no kids, no grandkids aunt or uncle who feels invisible at the holidays with family?

[drmeow]

18. My closest family

is 6 hours away so there is no slipping out and going home. I always make sure I have a book to read and when the kids start blathering about things I don't care about, I slip away and read for a while. Eventually the 20 somethings leave to do social things with their peers and the parents and grandparents can chat about other things. I don't like knitting but I think I might work on crocheting to give me something to do that is not reading in those situations. Then it may feel a lot less like a complete and utter waste of time to be there.

Right now my parents are still alive. I fully anticipate that I'm going to become invisible to my family once my parents are gone. Since that is the pattern for me in my family, I won't be surprised but it will also likely be hurtful. I'm hoping my oldest niece and nephew (with whom I have the best relationships of that generation) will stay engaged with me but don't have a lot of hope. I've been thinking a lot about what will happen if (when?) my spouse (who is in worse health than I am) dies before me. I'm expecting to have to come up with ways to be active and social without family, which is going to be hard for me as I'm not a joiner.