Finding love in the later years | Opinion

It was early evening when four seniors — three octogenarians and one nonagenarian — sat on the veranda that overlooked the shimmering water. They chattered as they sipped sangria and munched on peanuts and salt-free pretzels.

As they watched the blazing sun slowly descend in the sky they marveled how the colors changed from a dazzling blue with puffs of white to streaks of red, a rosy pink, even pale cinnamon or orange.

And then, in a blink of an eye, the four watched as day turned into night and suddenly everything was dark.

Life is sort of like that, commented the man who recently celebrated his 93rd birthday. As the indoor lights went on, he explained that when his marriage of 25 years ended, he felt his life become as black as the nighttime sky. That changed, he said, when he met an old friend who became the love of his life and now his wife of 34 years. It was then that the darkness turned into light and the world was again ablaze with magnificent colors.

He was so joyful when he met his new love, he wrote a poem to express his feelings. Holding back the tears, he shared the poem with the others at the table. And it’s worth sharing with anyone who is looking for sunshine after dark days — regardless of their age:

When my world became unraveled,

When I found myself alone,

I thought about a warm dear friend and called you on the phone.

We got together, sipped some wine,

We spoke of tears and empty years,

And the single life we planned.

I asked if you would go with me to my condo by the shore,

To spend some time and have some fun, some laughs — and nothing more.

And so we traveled to the beach, to play our brand new roles,

Not mindful of the yearning loves

Repressed within our souls.

Yes, we laughed and laughed — we also cried

And touched beneath the moon,

And our passion seemed to blend as one,

On that wondrous night in June.

As the morning sun rose in the sky

With its brilliance all anew,

The loneliness I often feared,

I knew would not come true.

Was it the magic of the ocean breeze?

Or the twinkling stars above?

Or some heavenly involvement that guides two hearts to love?

I do not know the answer — whether magic or divine,

I know only that I love you,

And I’m thankful that you’re mine.

“That poem sounds as beautiful to me as the first day I heard it,” said his wife. “But nothing is perfect. Over the years there have been some dark days, but there are many more that have been as bright as sunshine.

“But finding love in our later years is a gift we could never have imagined. It’s sort of like seeing a rainbow after a horrific storm,‘’ she said.

And there is nothing as glorious as a colorful rainbow.