Finding Love at 80

Sometimes I get really annoyed that people over 50 are often portrayed by advertisers as looking gray, wrinkled, dull, totally consumed by a variety of diseases and sexless - unless they are taking Viagra, of course. Perhaps it's only because I am no spring chicken that I find many older people today are looking and acting vibrant and ageless.

In my last two posts I have brought you the new romances of two couples, both over 80. They are having a good time, love dining out, and traveling. They are intelligent, delightful people who are not constantly taking pills or spending their lives in a doctor's waiting room.

Well, here's another. A neighbor down the street, Susie Damore, who is something of a matchmaker, called to tell me about her latest success, a romance between Ed and Betty.

A career accountant for many of her 84 years and quite happy with her life, Betty has been a friend of Susie's for many years. Although she never married, she did have several romances which for a variety of reasons never quite worked out. "I always felt that I couldn't work and be married," explained Betty. "Also my brother lived with me for many years. He died three years ago."

Ed, 82, a real estate broker and builder, had been happily married since a young man.
When his wife died five years before, he became quite depressed. Shortly after Susie met him she told him, "I have just the gal for you." She told him about Betty.

He was impressed and called Betty. Then he drove over to her house. "When I saw him get out of the car, I thought he had a pleasant face." At first Ed froze when Betty opened her door. He explained to her that she looked a lot like his late wife. Even her laugh reminded him of his lost love. But they immediately clicked and they talked and talked for hours. They discovered they both loved dancing, especially polka dancing, they are animal lovers, and they enjoy music. "He's so sweet and he makes me laugh," she said. "It seemed as if I have known him for years."

That was in April. They were married in August, inspired by their Catholic faith. "I surprised everybody by getting married!" she smiled. They had a small chapel wedding with just his family and with Susie as their Matron of Honor. They decided to live in Betty's house which he likes, while his son continues to live in his.

As in any relationship there are compromises. Betty likes almost every kind of food while Ed is allergic to several of her favorite dishes. At times it seems as if she is cooking two different meals. But she feels that is a minor problem as they have such a wonderful marriage. She certainly doesn't regret merging her life with Ed's.

If you have any stories of romance in later life please share them with me and the other readers of this blog. As many of the couples in my book, "50 Ways to Find Romance after 50" told me, love can be even better when you believe it's too late to find it again. As these couples discovered, that's really true.