Scrolling through the dating app Bumble, I stopped to look at the profile of a man called Justin. A kind-looking, handsome man, in his bio he explained he was a widower with two children. Typing out a message to him, I had no idea I'd just matched with the man I'd go on to fall in love with.
At the age of 51, starting a relationship with a widower, let alone one with young children, was the last thing on my mind. My own four children from a previous relationship were between 23 and 33 and I was busy with my work in child protection.
Then, in October 2021, a friend joked that, like her, I would be single forever. Instantly, I told her she was wrong, I knew I was going to meet someone. But I hadn't had the best luck with men. My last relationship had been toxic and ended years earlier. I'd tried dating apps, but deleted them after some disastrous dates.
INSTANT CONNECTION
Still, I was ready to try again and that December, I joined Bumble. The first few men I chatted to fell flat. Two weeks later I was ready to give up, when I matched with Justin, then 50 and an author. He quickly replied to the message I sent him, saying he'd spent the day horse riding and, like me, had trained in reiki. We exchanged messages daily, and two weeks later, when he suggested we talk on the phone, the conversation was so easy.
That's when Justin first told me about his late wife Helga, and how she had died three years earlier from breast cancer, aged 36. He explained that he'd needed to know he could be OK caring for Bren, then nine, and Seren, seven, before looking for another relationship, but now he was ready.
I was so nervous before our first dinner date two weeks later. I really liked him, and we'd spoken for hours every night.
ãã®èšäºã¯ WOMAN'S OWN ã® September 11, 2023 çã«æ²èŒãããŠããŸãã
7 æ¥éã® Magzter GOLD ç¡æãã©ã€ã¢ã«ãéå§ããŠãäœåãã®å³éžããããã¬ãã¢ã ã¹ããŒãªãŒã9,000 以äžã®éèªãæ°èã«ã¢ã¯ã»ã¹ããŠãã ããã
ãã§ã«è³Œèªè ã§ã ?  ãµã€ã³ã€ã³
ãã®èšäºã¯ WOMAN'S OWN ã® September 11, 2023 çã«æ²èŒãããŠããŸãã
7 æ¥éã® Magzter GOLD ç¡æãã©ã€ã¢ã«ãéå§ããŠãäœåãã®å³éžããããã¬ãã¢ã ã¹ããŒãªãŒã9,000 以äžã®éèªãæ°èã«ã¢ã¯ã»ã¹ããŠãã ããã
ãã§ã«è³Œèªè ã§ã? ãµã€ã³ã€ã³
FIVE-INGREDIENT FAKEAWAYS
Easy takeaway favourites to make at home, using just a handful of ingredients
7 THINGS TO DO IN...PORTO
This glittering riverside gem has a distinct character of its own on both sides of the Douro River
A NEW LIFE IN THE SUN
Tracy McKellar, 54, was ready for an adventure many miles from home
Is skimpy swimwear ever appropriate?
As peak holiday season approaches, thong swimsuits and barely there bikinis start to appear on beaches and around the poolâŠ
WHAT DRIVES A TROLL?
It's easier than ever for bullies to attack strangers. We explore what has become a growing menace in the digital age
ALL YOU NEED IS LOVE
Despite the obstacles in their way, these two women found someone special
TOGETHER WE CAN SURVIVE ANYTHING
Faced with a devastating diagnosis, Nikki Knight, 38, felt the strain on her family
WE'RE NOT SISTERS I'M HER MUM!
Jacqueline Hooton, 61, is determined to prove that age is just a number
The Loose Women LOVE CURSE
With three divorces in two years, it seems the presenters are unlucky when it comes to romance
'I FEEL SEXIER THAN EVER'
The star on turning 50, heartbreak and finding love