You are the last living member of your family line. You cannot have children or have decided not to. You have inherited a small property and and enough wealth to retire and live comfortably though not extravagantly for the rest of your life. How does this affect your lifestyle or worldview?
In the OP’s situation it would affect me in the slightest. I “live comfortably though not extravagantly” hopefully with a partner enjoying it with me.
I am the last only male child on my father’s side. The rest are all girls and married and have all taken the husbands name.
If I was a Kennedy or the like I’d be minted 
In reality it doesn’t bother me at all. I’m 40 and have no plans at present to have kids. I’m not married but have been in a relationship for a year and we aren’t even talking kids never mind planning any.
Mrs. Homie and I can’t have kids and don’t want to. My male cousins with the same last name are all pretty much fuckups, so basically the line ends with me.
IF (and that’s a big IF) I have a lot of money when I die, I plan to distribute it pretty much evenly among a few charities that I believe in: Animal Protective League, Big Brother/Big Sister, that sort of thing.
I’m the last in my line – I’m an only. I inherited my family’s home. We don’t have kids.
Although I’m not planning to go anywhere just yet (I’m in my early 50s), I do give it some thought every so often. Outside of my husband, I often come up blank. My circle of relatives is very, very small, and I’m not regularly in touch with them. Relatives on my husband’s side are set financially-speaking. I’ve thought about perhaps donating my entire estate to some worthy-in-my-eyes charity, but I have no idea which one.
I try not to dwell on any of this for obvious reasons.
What is it supposed to do? I am the last in my family line as well. No siblings, and no kids coming here.
As to my worldly possessions, I don’t know. I plan to pass the heirlooms on to my niece, so probably whatever we have will go to one or another family member.
I have a daughter and a niece and nephew, but I doubt that any of them care about the items I have that I consider to be heirlooms. There might be one or 2 items my sibs might like, but I doubt it. Still, I have given this some thought.
If something happens to my daughter and she dies before me, I’d just leave everything to one or two local organizations in my county. I don’t know that my husband would be inclined to leave anything to either of his brothers, so that sorta makes him the end of his family line.
I really do need to get a will made…
Strict answer to the OP: It doesn’t change my worldview, although I’d probably will my estate to a charity.
Real answer: I’m the last male in my family line, and I have two daughters, so no male heir. That used to bother me, because my branch of the family name will die with me, but as my genes will live on in my daughters, I’m okay with it. And they’ll inherit any money or other assets I have when I croak.
Alternatively, let’s say you did have kids, but they’re all grown up, and you have inherited a small property and and enough wealth to retire and live comfortably though not extravagantly for the rest of your life.
Other than the question of who to leave stuff to in your will, how is this any different, really? Unless it’s important for some reason to leave a valuable estate to your children, wouldn’t the rest of your life play out the same either way?
That’s my life. So what? Has always been that way, since I have never desired kids. When the wife and I kick off, whatever is left goes to the Las Vegas Home For Retired Pimps, Prostitutes, Panderers and Other Indigents Beginning With the Letter "P."
My family line does end with me. Neither I or my brother have any children. Frankly, I can’t see how it’s much of an issue (although I feel a little sad that my parents will never have grandkids). The only difference is that I’ll be leaving all my stuff to charities rather than to my children when I die. Everything else is the same.
It doesn’t. I see no reason why this should concern me. My estate will be divided evenly between my sister’s kids and that will be that. If I didn’t have them to bequeath to, I’d probably just have everything liquidated and donated to animal rescue groups, maybe a little bit to my alma mater.
Why do you think people in this position should “do” something about it?
You come close to describing me except I earned it rather than inherited it. So add an inheritance and I don’t see things changing much.
I’m lucky; I got two younger cousins (different name/branch) who have lived with us now and again and know us pretty well. I’ve left everything to them with a simple instruction to “do the kind of thing you think I would in terms of donations and gifts and have some fun while you are doing it”.
It happened to me. It was very frightening at first. I DID quit work after my last (govt. contract) job ended, and randomly looked for another job … but not very seriously.
Other events transpired: I married a man who ALSO never had kids. We’re living within our combined means, and mostly enjoying life. Which is a good thing. About 35 of my 62 years were pretty damn miserable and poor (as in starving writer/artist poor + clinically depressed the majority of the time).
My late father (with whom I constantly fought) saved my retirement ass. Bless him – I’m not worthy.
It wouldn’t effect me at all.
I’m single, childless and over 40. I am the only male child of the oldest male child. My father had two brothers, both of whom have sons. I’ve left instructions that, upon my death and assuming I’ve remained unmarried, the “family heirloom” engagement ring that my grandfather gave to my grandmother and my father to my mother be given to the next eldest brother and thence to his eldest son.
Otherwise, not an issue.
I don’t have kids, and can’t. I am not close to my family, don’t have any friends I care enough about to leave anything to, and there are no causes I feel strongly about. If I survive my wife, I imagine the state will take whatever I have left over. It ain’t like I will care.
SFC Schwartz
Thank you silenus, and in keeping with your wishes, we at the Silenius Retirement Pagodas will use your money for porn, pot, pasties and proctology.
But seriously, with 7 billion people now farting on our planet, it is time some family lines wrap up the game and stop. Apparently birth control no longer works worldwide, so might as well just call it quits for some bloodlines.
I believe some people think being the last of your family line is a golden ticket to the next step in afterlife - you finally stop reincarnating and move on.
Spend your money, or donate what remains of it to some worthwhile charity. You could always put a few bucks in the silenus foundation - we could use a new Prius at the home.
The whole family line thing doesn’t mean anything to me. So the only thing in your scenario that would change my current life is the “you have inherited” bit since that won’t be happening to me.
Define “my family line”. Does it just mean my own direct descendants? Then my next of kin are my sister’s descendants. Disqualify her, and it goes to cousins, and so on. My extended family is quite large, and I know folks in it reasonably far out. If you mean that all family that I know is gone, well, I can’t answer, because that’s a situation that’s far enough out of my experience that I can’t properly conceive of it.
My family does end with me. I’m not too worried about it.
I’ll will all my stuff to a spouse or a younger friend.
This is my husband’s reality. He’s the last one with his last name in the immediate family: his dad’s brother had only girls (who took their husband’s last name) and his dad’s sister had boys that naturally have their father’s last name. His sister took her husband’s last name, and we don’t plan to have kids. (I didn’t take El Hubbo’s last name, but any of our hypothetical children would take his last name.) So he’s the end of the line.
I think it bothers his dad some, but El Hubbo is fine with it. We’ve got nieces and nephews to leave things to. It’s not something that really bothers either of us.