THE END OF AN ERA

You have probably heard the joke….Marriage begins with two hearts and a diamond and ends with two clubs and a spade. Sounds funny until it becomes true.

Our love story started with two teenagers thinking they would die if they couldn’t be together, so there was an engagement, a marriage, followed by four children. Lots of struggles with money that, gradually, over the years eased off into a comfortable life.

Children grow and leave home to start new lives with their new love. Grandchildren come along and are adored, almost in the blink of an eye there are even great grandchildren. Where did the years go?

The story is supposed to end with the original two lovers growing old together, sitting on the porch, enjoying their golden years hand in hand and reminiscing on their past exploits.

Unfortunately it doesn’t always end that way, sometimes as they age they grow apart from each other, they see the world in different ways and find new roads to explore. Sometimes living together becomes not a joy but a clashing of different ideas and personalities that have gone in different directions.

Sometimes another partner seems a much more enjoyable option, the thrill of finding a new love when you thought you were too old to find new relationships. The forgotten partner feels neglected and unhappy and, eventually, life together is not a joy for either of you.

Starting again in mid seventies is a scary thing, to put together a new life when you are still trying to cling to the old one is very sad but, you pick yourself up and decide you can do it.

With much help from family and friends I started my new life and twelve months later I can honestly say that I have succeeded in beginning again.

Now I watch rather sadly as the little things that once were so treasured in my old home are rounded up and got ready for a garage sale. A break up of a relationship, after a lifetime makes you realize that all the treasures you gathered along the way are really quite worthless when you don’t share them any more. A beautiful home is just an empty house when there is no love left in it. What you held on to with all your heart and soul is now up for grabs for a few dollars from anyone who happens by.

The person you once put all your trust in, who shared your dreams and worked along side of is now off to pastures new with a new love by his side.

Am I sad? Of course, I am human and care deeply, however I am also strong and have weathered the storm for this past year and now feel that I have my sails trimmed in the right direction. It is strange how the feeling of a terrible hurt that I thought may never heal is now just a small, sore spot that hurts when I touch it.

Once our home is signed over and is left in the hands of it’s new owners, our partnership will be officially over and he will soon be off to his new life. I wish him luck, he is a good man and deserves to be happy. We had great times together but it was time to take different paths. As I said, it is the end of an era and time to see where the road ahead will lead us.