Dating in My Seventies and Beyond

I was widowed at the age of seventy just weeks after Aaron’s and my fiftieth, Golden-Wedding anniversary. He and I had planned our party, ordered printed invitations, booked a trip, and then cancelled them all in the same week we got Aaron’s test results. The diagnosis of Stage IV lung cancer was shocking, but we concentrated on getting my husband well despite the grim prognosis. Unfortunately, the last four months of Aaron’s life were anything but golden. There were treatments, medications, hospital emergency visits, and finally, hospice.<p>

“Life goes on,” “Life is for the living,” “He is in a better place,” “Take one day at a time,” were words I heard during the initial grieving period. All that advice was true, yet one had to find one’s own way to deal with the reality of widowhood.<p>

One way I dealt with it was my decision to enter the internet world of senior dating. I looked around and saw other women finding love again. Why not me? I summoned the nerve to dive into unfamiliar waters and after some research I took the plunge into the dark pond of internet dating.<p>

Now I feel compelled to write about my experiences because they were too shocking to keep to myself. The changes in the dating rituals I recalled from fifty years ago were startling. In addition, the thought of not sharing my episodes would be a disservice to my “sisters.” I’ve also observed other social changes that are both comical and alarming. My goals are to enlighten you by sharing my observations and possibly to bring a smile to your face. I hope for that success.