If you’ve been Divorced Over 50 for awhile (whatever your definition of “awhile” might be), do you feel a pressure to start dating? Whether it’s coming from yourself, or friends, or family, are you hearing words like, “Hey, don’t you think it’s time to get back out there?”
The major theme of Divorced Over 50 is, No matter how you came to be DO50, this is your chance to hit the Reset button and move forward into a happy, fulfilling, and exciting life.
But there’s absolutely no requirement that that new life must involve a new relationship. And no requirement to “get back out there.” For some people, staying single is exactly the way they want to go.
Writer Jennifer Ball has made that choice, and is perfectly fine with it. As she says in this piece, there are some things she needs to do, like work, parent her children, and buy groceries, but dating is not on the list.
Which isn’t to say she’s lonely. She has her kids, her friends, a dog, and could be busy every night. It’s just that even seven years after her divorce, she’s still not interested in dating.
Ball acknowledges that part of it may be guarding her heart after the painful divorce she endured. And she’s watched other single friends struggle to find someone new, falling in and out of love. But for her, for now, the focus is taking care of herself, and finding her “sea legs” to ride out the rest of the journey.
Which fits perfectly with the philosophy here. For some DO50’s, the sooner they can start dating and get into a new relationship, the better. But for others, just staying single and dealing with their own issues is the best choice.
And both are perfectly fine. Because this is your chance to regain control of your life, and be the you you want to be.