The Right to Happiness: Falling in Love at 50 and Facing a Serious Fear
When Love Strikes Unexpectedly
I never imagined I could fall so deeply in love at 50.
I had been married, raised two children, and welcomed grandchildren. It seemed life was on its track, no longer promising 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, vibrant, and painful feeling of my life.
As If I’m 20 Again
Many claim that mature love is different.
That’s not true.
It’s the same butterflies in the stomach, the same racing heartbeat, the same sleepless nights, only now paired with a fear.
A fear of losing.
When I was 20, I loved recklessly, with a childlike abandon. Now, every day I thank fate for this woman.
Every time I look at her, touch her hair, kiss her temple, hold her hand, I realize:
— She is the love I waited for all my life.
But with this happiness came the fear.
Her Daughter — My Worry
She was an incredible woman.
Kind, gentle, caring. Strong and wise.
We began living together, and my home was once again filled with love and light.
Yet over time, I noticed something was troubling her.
Almost every day, she received calls. The voice on the other end always said the same thing:
— Mum, I need money.
She had a daughter — a second-year university student.
Sounds normal, doesn’t it?
The problem was this daughter had been working for quite some time, earning a decent income.
Yet she kept draining the last penny from her mother.
It was either for her accommodation, another semester fee, or a debt to a friend.
I saw how this tore my woman apart.
She was angry, cried, torn between duty and the desire to be with me.
I said:
— Darling, with time, things will smooth out. Soon it will be just us.
But I didn’t really believe it.
I Fear She Might Leave One Day
Sometimes, after work, I dreaded going home.
I feared walking into an empty flat.
Feared seeing her things gone.
I howled with pain, yet silently.
I wept because of love.
Do you understand what that means for a man?
I’m certain women like her — those you write poems about.
What if she returns to her daughter?
I don’t know what the future holds.
If one day she says:
— I need to go back.
I would probably break.
Because she is everything a man dreams of at this age.
If you’re reading these words, my love, know this:
I love you more than life itself.
And if necessary — I’m ready to share you with your daughter.
But, please…
Don’t leave me.
Without you, my world loses its meaning.
