A Celebration of Love

Finding love when you least expect it—and discovering that it’s never too late.

It was a few years ago when I was taking Minnie, my Shih Tzu, for her morning walk. It was the same route we had strolled for the past 7 years, ever since she was a puppy.

As I turned the corner onto Oysterwood, I passed a man walking his dog whom I had never seen before. He stopped, said hello, and we chatted for a few minutes, asking each other where we lived and how long we had been in the neighborhood.

When we went our separate ways, I was puzzled—and apparently, so was he. I had just learned that he lived only nine houses away from me and had been there for eleven years. I had lived in my home for thirteen years, yet somehow, our paths had never crossed.

Without giving it another thought, I went home and prepared for my day as usual.

The following morning, it seemed uncanny that we met again. Once more, we stopped and chatted.

“You’re not 50 yet, are you?” he asked.

I laughed and told him without hesitation that I had passed 50 thirty-two years earlier!

“I’m 67,” he replied.

My mind immediately told me that this was a deal breaker. Although flattered, I thought that a man fifteen years my junior was simply not an option for me. I had turned 82 just a few months earlier, and being a cougar was of absolutely no interest to me!

On the third morning, we crossed paths once again. We stopped to say good morning, and, for whatever reason, he put his arm around my waist, pulled me toward him, and kissed me without hesitation.

Realizing he had acted impulsively and perhaps inappropriately, he began to apologize. But before he could finish, I smiled and exclaimed, “WOW! What a kiss!” That left him with absolutely no reason to apologize.

The following day, when we met at the same time on the same route, I invited him to my home for a glass of wine. He happily offered to bring the wine, and I prepared a few hors d’oeuvres. We sat on my sofa and talked without interruption. Neither of us was ever at a loss for words.

“Do you like Bocelli?” he asked.

“I love Bocelli!” I replied.

“How would you like to see him on Valentine’s Day? He’ll be performing here in Fort Lauderdale.”

Without hesitation, I graciously accepted. And so, our romance began.

As I write this, more than 5 years have passed since that spontaneous kiss on the corner of Oysterwood and Yellowheart. He shared with me that his wife had passed away the previous Thanksgiving, and I told him that I had been divorced for more than forty-six years.

There were a few complications I needed to work through involving unfinished business with my ex and family matters, but those details are not important to this story. What matters is that I was able to join him at the concert, and here we are, more than a 5 years later, still together and proudly declaring ourselves “life partners.”

This is a miracle I never expected at this stage of my life. Falling in love at 82 was never part of my plans. Yet God works in mysterious ways, and I am overwhelmed with gratitude for the love that has entered my life. Perhaps I truly did save the best for last!

Love Is What We Need Most

With all the stresses and strains in our world—the struggle to maintain our sanity, the horrific disasters we encounter each day, the gun violence, the wars and natural disasters, has brought years of hell, and the crisis of civility in our political arena—it can be difficult to focus on what we all need most right now: LOVE!

Valentine’s Day celebrates romance, the sweetness of falling in love, the joy of staying in love, and the dream of dancing together until the end of time. But love comes in many forms beyond romance.

It is just as important to nurture loving relationships with our families, friends—old and new—neighbors, pets, and, especially, our children.

And in order to give love freely to others, we must remember something equally important: we need to love ourselves.

But how do we do that when tragedy and uncertainty seem to surround us every day?

We cannot control everything happening in our world. We cannot single-handedly fix the economy, inflation, the stock market, the continuing challenges of COVID, mass shootings, or the political divisiveness in our country.

But we can take responsibility for what is within our control.

We can have faith in our shared humanity. We can make a conscious effort to express gratitude for our blessings, our health, and our connections with one another. We can practice being present with the people we love, cultivate patience with those closest to us, and extend a helping hand to those who are less fortunate.

Sometimes, the smallest gestures of love make the biggest difference.

It’s Never Too Late for Love

My own life has taken a turn toward what may be its happiest chapter.

At 82, I found love when I least expected it. This love has made many of the hardships we face seem less overwhelming. It has lifted me to a place of happiness I never imagined possible.

Two years after being together, we celebrated our love and honored the extraordinary gift we have been fortunate enough to find in one another. We wanted to share our story with family and friends so we made a party and called it a celebration of love. 

Not everyone has had this good fortune. Not everyone has experienced this kind of blessing. To feel unconditionally loved and accepted is one of life’s greatest gifts.

If you open your heart and believe that love is still possible, life may surprise you. Sometimes, fate has a way of bringing people together when the time is right.

Love cannot be forced or contrived. It must be allowed to unfold naturally. And sometimes, when something is meant to be, the pieces simply fall into place.

The poet Rumi wrote, “Love is the bridge between you and everything.”

I once copied a post from Facebook that has stayed with me. The author was not identified, but its message is worth remembering:

“If God shuts a door, stop banging on it! Trust that whatever is behind it is not meant for you.”

Perhaps the closed door is not a punishment. Perhaps it is making room for something we have yet to imagine.

Make Love a Daily Practice I encourage you to think about what you can do to bring more love into the lives of others.

Don’t honk your horn impatiently at another driver. Don’t give someone the finger on the expressway because they just cut you off. Instead, pause and remember the Golden Rule we learned in kindergarten: Do unto others as you would like others to do unto you.

It is easy to lose your temper. It takes greater awareness and self-control to maintain your composure and respond with kindness.

The other driver may never know that you chose not to react, but you will. And that small decision may make your day—and someone else’s—a little better.

Acts of kindness can help us feel calmer and more connected. Letting go of anger creates room for forgiveness. Practicing patience and self-control requires mindfulness, but these are skills we can develop with intention and practice.

Love is not simply a feeling we experience when everything is going well. It is also a choice we make in how we treat others, especially when life tests us.

Let Love Be the Remedy

Our world has been in a dark place for far too long. Perhaps it is time to acknowledge the shadow side of our lives while choosing not to let it define us.

We cannot erase every tragedy, resolve every conflict, or change every person’s behavior. But we can change how we show up in the world.

We can choose compassion over cruelty, understanding over judgment, forgiveness over resentment, and kindness over anger.

We can begin at home, in our neighborhoods, behind the wheel, and in every interaction, we have with another human being.

Let us make love more than a Valentine’s Day sentiment. Let us make it a daily practice—a conscious decision to appreciate what we have, cherish those we love, and extend kindness wherever we can.

Let’s inoculate ourselves with an abundance of love.

And remember: you are never too old to fall in love, never too young to make a difference, and never too late to begin again.

Sometimes, the most beautiful chapter of our lives begins when we least expect it. 

Make everyday Valentines Day!