A Right to Happiness: Falling in Love at 50, But with a Burden
When Love Catches You Off Guard
I never imagined I could fall so deeply in love at 50.
I was married, raised two children, and now have grandchildren. It seemed like life was on its usual course, and I shouldn’t expect any grand emotions.
But fate had other plans.
I wasn’t searching for love; it found me.
And it turned out to be the most intense, vivid, and painful emotion I’ve ever felt.
Feeling Twenty Again
Many say that older people love differently.
That’s a misconception.
It’s the same butterflies in the stomach, the same racing heartbeat, the same sleepless nights, but with an added fear.
A fear of losing.
When I was twenty, I loved recklessly and immaturely. But now, every day I’m grateful for this woman being in my life.
Every time I look at her, touch her hair, kiss her temple, or hold her hand, I realize:
— She is the love I’ve been waiting for my entire life.
Yet with this joy comes fear.
Her Daughter — My Dilemma
She was an incredible woman.
Kind, gentle, caring. Strong and wise.
We started living together, and my home was filled with love and warmth once more.
But over time, I noticed something troubling her.
She received calls almost daily. The voice on the other end always said the same thing:
— Mum, I need money.
She had a daughter — a second-year university student.
Seems ordinary, right?
The issue was, her daughter had been working for a while and made a decent sum.
Yet she continued to drain her mother’s resources.
One day it was for rent, then the next semester’s tuition, or a loan from a friend.
I saw how it tore my partner apart inside.
She was torn, angry, crying, caught between her duty and wanting to be with me.
I said:
— Darling, time will mend everything. Soon it’ll just be us.
But I didn’t truly believe it.
I Fear She Might Leave
Sometimes, as I left work, I dreaded going home.
I dreaded finding an empty apartment.
I dreaded seeing her belongings gone.
I cried out, silently, from the agony.
Cried because of love.
Do you understand what that means for a man?
I’m certain women like her are the ones poems are written about.
What if she goes back to her daughter?
I’m unsure of what the future holds.
If one day she says:
— I have to go back.
I’d probably fall apart.
Because she is everything a man could hope for at this age.
If you’re reading this, my love, know:
I love you more than life itself.
And if I must, I’m ready to share you with your daughter.
But please…
Don’t leave me.
Without you, my world would lose all meaning.
