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Dating Old Flames – Finding Love after 50

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By Tom P Blake Finding Love After 50

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Gary, a real estate broker in Newport Beach, Calif., attended his 25th high school reunion. At a party afterward, he kissed his high school sweetheart in the same room in the same house where he had kissed her 25 years before. He dated his old flame and now they're happily married

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Suzy's reconnection with her former sweetheart didn't work out as well. The Mission Viejo, Calif., woman warns about getting in touch with former lovers. "I did and got badly burned. I kept thinking of him as he was and never saw what he is today." Dating old flames didn't work for her.

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"I was financially depleted after my 'love' seemed to need everything -- clothes, furniture, insurance, and so on. I was so in love with the memory, I didn't see the real thing. Don't let yesteryear fog your vision. Dating old flames doesn't always work"

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Judy was engaged to a Navy man in Long Beach when she was 17, but didn't end up marrying him. Forty-one years later, she was working on her family's genealogy and was curious about him. "I found him on the Internet in Louisiana," says Judy. He eventually moved to California to be with her. Last August, they married on board the Newport Princess in Newport Beach. "Love is better the second time around," she says. "Dating an old flame worked for me."

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Rekindling a romance isn't easy, however. As in Judy's case, when old flames reconnect, they often live in different cities or states. To be together, one of them has to move. Judy says her husband misses the fishing in Louisiana, and getting his legal affairs in order in California has been "a nightmare."

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The partner who moves obviously faces the biggest adjustments. If you're thinking of uprooting your life, first ask yourself, "Can the strength of our love overcome the difficulties I'll face in moving?"

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If you reconnect with an old flame, keep these four things in mind:

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  • The relationship can work, but as Suzy says, don't let yesteryear (or loneliness) fog your vision. A short-term fix could turn into a long-term disaster. Dating your old flame is risky.
     

  • After the romance and passion wear off, the true challenges of dating an old flame must be faced. Be realistic, not idealistic. Dating old flames isn't for everyone.
     

  • Anticipate problems that didn't exist when you dated years ago, but could be a factor now: children, finances and health, for example. Discuss these issues and have a plan beforehand.

 

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After discussing these four items and making expectations clear, if you and your old flame still want to give it a try, go for it with gusto!

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