Studies show that people are waiting longer and longer to have kids. And there are definitely benefits, like more financial and social stability. However, when my parents had me at 40 and 37, it was still pretty shocking. They were frequently asked if they were having fertility issues or if they even wanted kids. My parents like to joke that I just made the cut-off. But there’s another side to this coin. Watching your parents get older. Suddenly, you start to realize the gravity of numbers like 60 and 64. You realize that they both have grey hair and no one but you and your grandparents would consider them middle-aged. The weight of their mortality starts to weigh on you. Suddenly, you see that you’re staring down the barrel of decades without them. Feel like crying? Me too. This will become normal. But before you fall off the edge and start imagining funerals, let’s shift gears. Because it’s not just you who’s going through this, and you're not alone. People long before you felt the same type of premature grief, if not more, and invented ice cream. So let’s distract ourselves with the sweet reprieve of chocolate and friendship, which is what I did.