I was a little nervous because I hadn’t seen her at church for a few weeks. Since she’s a widow in her 80s, I wondered if she had fallen ill.
Then, one morning at 9:30 Mass, I saw her again, and she was sitting with a white-haired gentleman in a fine suit. Later, she told me they often stayed out late on Saturday nights, so she had been going to a later Mass.
It turns out this man, a widower, had moved into the senior residence where my friend lives, and the two have been tripping the light fantastic ever since.
And I think it’s terrific.
Still, some people aren’t keen about love affairs for folks in their golden years. They think people of a certain age should retreat to a rocking chair with a nice shawl wrapped around their shoulders.
This is nonsense, though, because Cupid’s arrow can pierce our hearts at any age.
Romance doesn’t come with a warning that says, “Stay away from senior citizens.”
My sister, a widow in her 60s, recently met a fellow who is 10 years older than she is. They have been going to festivals and restaurants together, and taking long walks in the park.
“I’m in love!” read her recent status update on Facebook, and her face is radiant.
But some friends have warned that he is too old and if they should marry and he should die…well, that would be another tragedy in her life.
This is all true, of course, but no one comes with a guarantee. A woman in her 30s can marry a healthy man, who can die in a car wreck a few months later.
A woman in her 70s may remarry, and perhaps she will only have five years with the guy.
But isn’t five years with love better than five years without it? There is that old line from Tennyson, “It’s better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all.”
To me it isn't surprising that people who have lost a spouse after a long marriage would seek a new relationship.
After all, love is a gift from above, whether it is the bond between friends or the spark between sweethearts.
As St. John tells us, “Let us love one another for love is from God.” And in Ecclesiastes, we are told that two are better than one because “If one falls down his friend can help him up.”
Love keeps our worlds spinning in orbit. A woman in love, no matter what her age, may take a renewed interest in sprucing up her hair and trying a new lipstick. A man may ditch the old wardrobe and take up jogging.
Love can cure loneliness and inspire hope. And you needn’t be young to witness its power because the greatest thing about love is this: It is eternal.
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Lorraine's latest books include two mysteries and a biography of Flannery O'Connor, "The Abbess of Andalusia." They are available at www.lorrainevmurray.com Her email address is lorrainevmurray@yahoo.com
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