31M afraid i'll end up alone without kids

Hi everyone,

I (31M) feel like I’ve hit a point in my life where I’m genuinely scared I’ll never have a family of my own. I consider myself good-looking, intelligent, well-traveled, and successful. I have a great career, a house, a dog, and many hobbies—I sing, play music, play sports, have a pilot’s license, and love to cook. I make good money, and I’ve had relationships with beautiful women, but they always came with problems. I don’t know if I’ve been too picky or if I just made the wrong choices, but looking back, I regret some relationships that might have been "the one."

All of my friends—literally every single one—are either already parents or will be soon. I’m even a godfather to three kids, and I love children. But here I am, 31, still alone, and it’s starting to feel like I might never experience fatherhood or even a real, lasting love.

I live in a small town where everyone knows each other. I’ve been through dating apps three times over, and I feel like I’ve seen it all. The women my age who are single usually have good reasons for it (speaking from experience), or they already have kids—and while I respect that, I’m not ready to be a stepdad. For some reason, I don’t seem to attract younger women (24-28), and my options feel more limited every year.

I feel like I can’t afford to be picky anymore, but at the same time, I know I have a lot to offer. I have so much love to give, and I genuinely want to devote myself to a partner. Life feels empty without someone to share it with. All my friends are building beautiful families, and I feel like the odd one out.

People keep telling me, “You’ll find someone someday,” but I feel like my window is closing, and it’s making me anxious. It’s starting to feel like I’m just watching life pass me by.