• Support
  • Advertise
  • Locations
  • Contact
Saturday, January 28, 2023
No Result
View All Result
NEWSLETTERS
San Clemente Times
  • Calendar
    • Event Calendar
    • Submit an Event
  • Sections
    • Eye on SC
    • Soapbox
      • Submit a Letter
    • Getting Out
    • SC Living
    • Sports & Outdoors
    • SC Surf
    • Dana Point Times
    • Capistrano Dispatch
  • Digital Edition
  • Best of SC
  • Explore SC
  • Legals & Classifieds
    • Locals Only Business Directory
    • Classifieds
    • Submit a Classified
    • Obituaries
    • Announcements
    • Submit an Announcement
    • Legal & Public Notice Advertising
  • Special Publications
    • Money Matters
    • Best of San Clemente
    • A New You
    • Aging Well – For the Young at Heart
    • Crib to College
    • Festival of Whales Event Program
    • Holiday Happenings & Gift Guide
    • Triton Football Preview
    • Go See Do
    • The Green Issue
  • SC Guide
  • Real Estate
    • South County Real Estate Guide
    • Real Estate – Who’s Who
  • Calendar
    • Event Calendar
    • Submit an Event
  • Sections
    • Eye on SC
    • Soapbox
      • Submit a Letter
    • Getting Out
    • SC Living
    • Sports & Outdoors
    • SC Surf
    • Dana Point Times
    • Capistrano Dispatch
  • Digital Edition
  • Best of SC
  • Explore SC
  • Legals & Classifieds
    • Locals Only Business Directory
    • Classifieds
    • Submit a Classified
    • Obituaries
    • Announcements
    • Submit an Announcement
    • Legal & Public Notice Advertising
  • Special Publications
    • Money Matters
    • Best of San Clemente
    • A New You
    • Aging Well – For the Young at Heart
    • Crib to College
    • Festival of Whales Event Program
    • Holiday Happenings & Gift Guide
    • Triton Football Preview
    • Go See Do
    • The Green Issue
  • SC Guide
  • Real Estate
    • South County Real Estate Guide
    • Real Estate – Who’s Who
No Result
View All Result
San Clemente Times
No Result
View All Result

On Life and Love After 50: ‘You Look Like My Neighbor’

Staff by Staff
January 12, 2023 3:25AM
in SC LIVING, SC Living Headlines
On Life and Love After 50: Readers Provide Clarity to Widower

Tom Blake

0
SHARES
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
Tom Blake

By Tom Blake

Just before Christmas—50 days after my partner, Greta, passed away—I knew I needed to start getting out of the house and exercising. It was a beautiful, sunny day, so I decided to take a walk in my Monarch Beach neighborhood. 

I came upon a woman who was walking her dog. I had seen her walk past my house several times, and we had chatted briefly, but never formally introduced ourselves. The last time I had seen her, I mentioned that Greta was ill.

She was always friendly. I was aware that she was married to Jim, whose home-improvement company had installed two windows in Greta’s San Clemente home several years before.

She said, “Hi, I’m Lilly. How is your wife?”

I mustered the courage to tell her that Greta had passed away on Oct. 29. Lilly was shocked, and gracious, and expressed her condolences. We talked for six minutes. She touched my hand and told me how sorry she was, which lifted my spirits.

I didn’t mention to Lilly that while Greta and I had been together for 25 years, we weren’t married. It wasn’t important information.

The next day, I decided to venture out again. I was in the bread aisle of the Capistrano Beach Costco. I noticed a woman walking in the same aisle. She looked like Lilly.

I said, “You look like my neighbor.”

She said, “You look like my neighbor. Where do you live?”

“In Monarch Beach,” I replied.

“Me, also,” she said. And then she smiled and quickly added, “Oh, my gosh, I’m Lilly, you’re Tom; we talked yesterday. You probably didn’t recognize me without my dog.” We had a big laugh over her comment.

Then, Lilly said, “Do you like chili?”

“Yes,” I answered, “I love chili.”

She said, “I made chili last night. We have leftovers. We’ll drop some off later.”

In the checkout lines, we waved and held up identical sourdough bread packages that each of us had selected in the bread aisle. Friendly neighbors think alike, I thought.

A short while after unloading the groceries from my car, I heard a knock on the front door. I opened it. Standing there, with a bowl of chili in his hands, was Jim, Lilly’s husband. I invited him in.

I said, “How long have you and Lilly been together?”

“Seventeen years.”

“How did you two meet?”

“Online,” Jim replied. She’s the greatest thing that’s ever happened to me.”

Having noticed that Lilly has a warm and friendly accent, I said, “Where is she from?”

“Costa Rica,” Jim said.

I showed Jim a copy of the How 50 Couples Found Love After 50 book that I published in 2009 and said, “Darn, had I known you two then, I would have included your story in the book.”

Jim smiled and said, “We wouldn’t have qualified. I was 43 when I met her. She was younger.”

I added, “You are right. You two were too young for the book. But it still goes to show that internet dating can bring people together, regardless of age, and even when they grew up thousands of miles apart.”

I signed a book with these words: “To Jim, Lilly and the Puppy Dog.” And handed it to Jim.

Moral of today’s story: When you’re out and about, be friendly, and talk to people. Jim and Lilly live 60 yards away from me. And now, I have two new friends.

Plus, Lilly’s chili was unbelievably delicious. And best of all, Jim said, “Lilly makes chili often. We’ll bring you more.”

I said, “Promise?”

“Each time,” he said.  

Tom Blake is a retired Dana Point business owner and resident who has authored books on middle-aged dating. See his website at findingloveafter50.com. To comment: tompblake@gmail.com.

Share this:

  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)

Related

Tags: Dana PointDatingNeighborlyOn Life and Love After 50Orange CountyRelationshipsSan ClementeSan Juan CapistranoSenior DatingWidow
ShareTweetPin
Staff

Staff

Related Posts

Artifex Releases Beer ‘Created by AI, Brewed by Humans’

Artifex Releases Beer ‘Created by AI, Brewed by Humans’

January 27, 2023
Calvada

Planning Commission Gives Go-Ahead to Mixed-Use Development South of Downtown

January 27, 2023
Council to Hold New Election of Mayor Pro Tem Amid Debate over Voting Process

Council to Hold New Election of Mayor Pro Tem Amid Debate over Voting Process

January 26, 2023
Permitting

Planning Commission Finds Pros, Cons in Permit Streamlining Amendment

January 26, 2023
Next Post
Long-Overdue Time in the Sun

Grom of the Week: WSL World Junior Championships

Discussion about this post

No Result
View All Result

SC Times Daily
Get important news and updates delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up here.

Subscriptions
Don’t get the SC Times delivered to your home? Subscribe today.

Advertising
Get new customers and drive traffic to your business. Advertise with us.

Support Local Journalism
For less than the cost of a couple of cups of coffee a month, become an “Insider” member and continue to get “Local News You Can Use” from the only independently owned, dedicated local news organization in South Orange County.

Contribute today.

Picket Fence Media is a proud member of the SoCal Media Network.

  • Archive
  • Contact Us
  • Dana Point Times
  • The Capistrano Dispatch
  • Terms of Use
  • About Us

© 2023 Picket Fence Media

No Result
View All Result
  • Calendar
    • Event Calendar
    • Submit an Event
  • Sections
    • Eye on SC
    • Soapbox
      • Submit a Letter
    • Getting Out
    • SC Living
    • Sports & Outdoors
    • SC Surf
    • Dana Point Times
    • Capistrano Dispatch
  • Digital Edition
  • Best of SC
  • Explore SC
  • Legals & Classifieds
    • Locals Only Business Directory
    • Classifieds
    • Submit a Classified
    • Obituaries
    • Announcements
    • Submit an Announcement
    • Legal & Public Notice Advertising
  • Special Publications
    • Money Matters
    • Best of San Clemente
    • A New You
    • Aging Well – For the Young at Heart
    • Crib to College
    • Festival of Whales Event Program
    • Holiday Happenings & Gift Guide
    • Triton Football Preview
    • Go See Do
    • The Green Issue
  • SC Guide
  • Real Estate
    • South County Real Estate Guide
    • Real Estate – Who’s Who

© 2023 Picket Fence Media