Yesterday's morning walk to work gave me something to chew on. Never Too Late For Love, screamed a poster on the library glass window. The poster announced a February event that the author of a book on mid-life romance was having a week before Valentine’s Day. I haven’t read the book, but if its promotion blurb is any indication, it answers the question, "Do you think that love disappears in the second half of life?" Apparently, for many people, life after age 50 did not stop them from embarking on a journey of finding love. Obviously, some people have handled the so-called mid-life crisis in a romantic way, Good for them!.
It's always exciting to hear that people manage to find happiness in their old age. Not too long ago, I shared a bus ride with three men who chatted about one of their fellow residents in the senior home. I noted a tinge of envy because the subject of their conversation seemed to be popular with the "Golden Girls" who were all over him. There's no doubt about it, the game of flirting and seduction is alive and well regardless of time and age. Who knows, it might just be the secret to staying forever young!
I don't know what anyone else thinks, but I just don’t get why people, specially women, are fiercely in the hunt to find love. Why can’t they just go with the wind and fall where fate takes them? Can’t people simply go to their graves without pairing up with someone? Why has it become an unwritten law that a man and woman, or folks of the same gender, must be in a relationship to find lasting happiness?
I don't know what anyone else thinks, but I just don’t get why people, specially women, are fiercely in the hunt to find love. Why can’t they just go with the wind and fall where fate takes them? Can’t people simply go to their graves without pairing up with someone? Why has it become an unwritten law that a man and woman, or folks of the same gender, must be in a relationship to find lasting happiness?
I’ve known many women who got married, had children, got divorced and are still single. They’re not looking to get married again. Perhaps a nice partner to watch a movie or enjoy a dinner with would be lovely, but to marry? These women must have had enough of giving more than they received in return. Also, most of them make their own money and don’t need a man to fulfill their financial needs. If more women will learn how to take care of themselves better, they won’t find a need to seek a partner for the purpose of achieving financial security.
Wanting a partner might also come from a need to fill a void in life. I’ve known women who feel hollow without a man catering to their whims. One woman I know told me that the guy she was dating at that time "wasn't enough," yet a few years later, she married him! I do believe that if a woman takes the time to pursue a passion, she’ll be too busy enjoying it to even want to go through the intricacies of a committed relationship. Or she'll be too occupied with work or running a business that hardly leaves time to get a relationship going. As we know, relationships, in order to thrive and succeed, need the investment of time and energy.
I truly believe that if it’s meant to happen, someone will come along to make a person’s life complete and more meaningful. Sometimes it can happen when least expected. So for the women out there who really want to become the half of a whole, don’t despair if Prince Charming (or a passable clone) hasn’t come into your life. It’s when you try too hard to get paired that a romantic bond refuses to form. When you’re least expecting it is when the forces of romantic love miraculously enter your universe.
In the meantime that dating or nurturing a relationship is not a part of your schedule, get yourself busy on things that bring you joy. Spend quality time with your friends. Catch up on anything that you care about, but didn’t quite pursue. Throw yourself into activities that make you feel alive. Volunteer in causes that matter to you. Write your state representative on issues of great concern to you and your fellow citizens, Having a well-balanced and full life will make you happy and attractive to the opposite sex. Chances are, that’s when the love of your life might arrive to sweep you off your feet!
If the hoped-for love doesn’t materialize, fret not. It’s not the end of the world! As long as you are pursuing your life’s interests and are making every moment of your life count, you’re on the right track. Romantic love might not be on your radar screen, but living a lovely life isn’t such a bad alternative. It is better to live alone happy than be miserable in a relationship.
Cheers to meaningful living!
