Hope. Don't give up hope.
It's never too late for love
© 2004 by Tom Blake

By TOM BLAKE
Special to the Register

Monday, August 2, 2004

Do you believe that love has passed you by? Have you given up hope? That once you hit age 55, 60, 70 or even 80, that it won't happen to you? Given up on romance altogether? Fleetwood Mac sang, "Don't stop thinking about tomorrow." That's good advice, because meeting someone is possible at any age.

Mary of Costa Mesa said, "Age is all in the mind. You can be young at heart and in love and it can be even more special, since you know how hard it is to find love. But never giving up is the key."

Pat, Fountain Valley, didn't give up: "I've found someone who wants to share my life - an old friend who was in business with my husband at the time my husband died."

The Orange County Register recently featured a heartwarming story on Helen Jepson, 86, of Aliso Viejo, and Larry Carroll, 87, of Dallas, who reunited 67 years after going separate ways. She tracked him down on the Internet.

Esther of San Jose e-mailed: "Your stories give me - a separated 55-year-old woman - hope that someday I'll find true love again, because life is more fun when you share it with someone."

At 75, Olive of Wrentham, Mass., answered an 83-year-old widower's ad in her local newspaper: "We talked on the phone many times, enjoyed our stimulating conversations and finally met for a long and joyful lunch, discussing our families, goals and interests. We married nine months later."

Bobbie, 73, of Huntington Beach said, "I had a wonderful 29-year marriage to an exceptional man. He died in 1982. About a year later, I was in my front yard and my husband's former boss came sauntering down the sidewalk, shirtless and in shorts. In a short time, we were seeing each other every other day and then began traveling."

Bobbie's companion died five years ago. She isn't interested in searching for a new love - at least not now.

Widow Peggy, 74, lives near Syracuse, N.Y. Tom, 73, a widower, also lives in New York, about an hour from Peggy.

"We were both very lonely, a really large hole in our lives," said Tom. They met on the Internet. "Neither of us realized when we first exchanged timid notes last August that it would fill the hole of loneliness and lead us to the wonderful love we have.

"After several e-mails, a trust developed. Real names and phone numbers were exchanged. A September lunch date was scheduled. There wasn't a moment of silence – we talked, laughed and even cried – it was a wonderful seven-hour first meeting.

Each has six children and many grandchildren. They got to know each other's families, and recently they married, with all of their offspring present.

Men, take note: Most of these couples were relatively close in age. The guys weren't seeking younger women. They wanted women they could relate to. When older men date women close to their age, they dramatically increase their chances of finding love.

Love can happen. Don't give up, regardless of your age.