Three pillars of American journalism all agree: Gray divorce is a real thing. You already knew that, of course, or you wouldn’t be here. Links to the articles, and take-aways from them, on the next page…
Here are links to articles from The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The Wall Street Journal.
If you don’t feel like doing all that reading, here are some take-aways from their reporting:
- In the last twenty years, the number of over-fifty divorces has doubled.
- More than one-quarter of all divorces in the US now involve over-fifties.
- Two-thirds are initiated by the woman.
- The over-fifty boomer generation expects their marriage itself to be a source of happiness and fulfillment (as opposed to their parents, who were satisfied by playing the role of provider or nurturer), and if they’re not feeling it, they’re not gonna stick around.
- Most often the divorce is not due to severe discord, but rather because the couples have just grown apart.
What were your reasons for splitting up? Did you get into your fifties, get your kids launched, realize you could have two or three decades of healthy living to go, and decide your spouse was just not the person you wanted to spend them with? Or maybe it was your spouse who came to that realization. Please share your experience, and your feelings about it, in the comments below…