While watching tv I saw an ad for a sitcom about marriage. They were making a joke about how long after death they had to wait to find a new partner. He told her she had to wait half the time they were married, then she quipped that he wouldn’t wait.
It didn’t offend me, I wasn’t triggered by it, but it did get my wheels turning. If that really was a societal expectation, I’m getting close. We were married fourteen years, and I’ve now been widowed closer to five years. While two years seems like a long time, I know they go by in a flash. Thinking about being alone for half as many years as we were married is a mind bender.
I didn’t set out to not find a relationship, but so far, I haven’t met anyone to build a future with. I dated on and off for a while, but the last year I stopped even trying. The dating experience, although not awful, has not been worth the investment of my time. I’m always open to the idea of it, but it’s not something I’m actively seeking.
To be clear, I don’t think you have to wait half your years of marriage to seek out another partner. Everyone gets to move at whatever pace they choose. It was just a scene that got my brain moving about my own experience.
