But he gets me, loves me and makes my life better

She turns 6 next week. I am right now about to go back upstairs for “second hug and kiss” and hopefully HOPEFULLY she will go to sleep. posted by kestrel251 at 4:49 PM on [4 favorites]

I met my husband when I was 43 and he was 45 . we got married a year later and had a baby. First and only e friends and then something more. We never actually dated.

We would have both laughed if you’d told us we’d be married one day. If I’d been sizing him up as a potential partner it would have never happened. He’s not who I would have predicted I’d end up with. I love him back and feel very blessed.

I think I recommend not exactly dating so much as living your life, doing the things that you love, and being open to what the universe on [8 favorites]

Didn’t date for a few years after that. Met a dude on OK Cupid when I was 40, we’ve been together 3 years now.

I feel like getting to know him slowly over time gave me a chance to appreciate his best qualities in a way I might not have if we’d been dating

Ive been a serial monogamist since I was 18, and after each breakup – ages 28, 31, 37-38, Ive been convinced I am too old to ever have a relationship again. It’s never true.

Re: children, Ive never wanted biological kids but I can tell you that half the mothers i know are having first or second kids in their early 40s posted by mrmurbles at 5:18 PM on [1 favorite]

Back in the day, I had moved as a divorced woman to a new city for career reasons. Other than my parents an hour drive away, I knew no one. I was comfortable being an almost forty-year-old single and was managing finances based on the expectation that I would always be single. To meet people – anyone! – I placed an ad in a singles magazine (note: this was in 1996 so the internet wasn’t really a thing yet) and met someone who turned out to be much more than just “anyone”. In fact, we celebrated the nine-month anniversary of our first face-to-face date on our honeymoon. We are still happily married, best friends, and thrilled with how our lives turned out. Is that enough of a happy ending for you?

FWIW, we agree that what was important to finding the “right” relationship was, ironically, not really looking for a relationship. We were both able to feel seksikГ¤s Korean tytГ¶t fulfilled as single people, and therefore the only relationship that would appeal was one that expanded what we already had as individuals, as there were no personal holes we were looking to fill. This doesn’t mean that either of us were perfect when we met, although I am now and he isn’t (snort!), it just means that we were each comfortable in our own skins. posted by DrGail at 5:18 PM on [2 favorites]

I met my now-wife when I was 31, she was 37. We met through a Meetup happy hour group I joined after moving to a new city to meet people (we joke that we pretty much met in a bar). Married two years later – it’s been five years and still happily married.

Ended a 6 year relationship (engaged) at age 37 or 38

On kids – we don’t have any (by choice) but I know several women who had their first one after 40.

FWIW echoing the last comment that I seemed to finally have luck when I wasn’t really looking to date. I had a very long multi-year streak of singledom before we met, interspersed with the occasional failed attempt at online dating. I had finally decided to take a break from it and focus on other aspects of my life shortly before I met my now wife. posted by photo guy at 6:01 PM on [1 favorite]