Do you remember the soulful Paul McCartney song ‘This Never happened Before’? Maybe that’s what’s going to happen when you fall in love the second time.
There’s never a ‘right’ age to fall in love! If you thought falling in love happened with the young only you couldn’t have been more wrong. According to a 2017 Pew Research Center report number of Americans cohabiting with a partner continues to rise, especially among those 50 and older.
In fact falling in love in the twilight years of life is a beautiful feeling. It’s that phase of your life when you have fulfilled your responsibilities, is probably spending a stress-free life and have ample time for a companion.
Marriage, Once Again
So why would you want to get married post 50? Why wouldn’t you? People are living longer and living healthily. Companionship is an important component of active ageing. Several research support when seniors get married again they live longer. The feeling of loneliness, anxiety and depression, among seniors, are all factors that often arise due to lack of a companion.
If you have a companion in your senior years, you are more likely to lead a healthy life. Late-life marriages aren’t uncommon anymore. The days of societal fears and family obligations are behind us. You live only once and your choice is what should matter most.
There may be some among you who may have never married. Late-life is when you may think of taking the plunge. You must go ahead and find yourself a companion. A late marriage may or may not be similar as one initiated during youth but that should not stop you from matrimony.
Is Companionship the Answer to Empty Nest Syndrome?
An Empty Nest Syndrome is often a reason why elders are getting married. After children have left home, empty-nested couples find it difficult to cope with loneliness. Older couples do not want to live alone. In the youth, child-rearing keeps them busy but once children have moved out, seniors start thinking about their lives.
One of the key aspects of second marriages of elder men and women is how no children are involved in it. So it’s only your companion and you, and that brings both partners close to each other.
Dos and Donts
• Prepare for conflict with family and friends. Your children may not support you initially or your neighbours may ridicule you. Make them understand your choice.
• Communicate effectively with your family and would-be partner. Don’t hide your fears and anxieties.
• Prepare yourself to be a step-parent (if children are involved). Make them feel loved.
• Discuss expectations and your finances beforehand to avoid misunderstandings.
• Keep an open mind and be adaptable to change.
Avenues for Companionship
So, you have decided to get married. How do you go about it? There are several organisations in the country that help in arranging remarriages or live in relationships for senior citizens. Read about how a couple found love second time around in our latest newsletter. Register for our webinar ‘A Second Shot at Love’ to be held on August 14 where eminent panelists will talk about remarriages.
Around second love, we also have the premiere of Mita Vashist- Rajit Kapur-starrer short film ‘Poonam’ on August 22 at 5 pm in ‘Unmukt’s Digital Kaleidoscope: Celebrating Seniors with Amazon Alexa’. All this and more only at Unmukt.