Why This Relationship Trend Affects You Too..
Age is nothing but a number my friends!
And it seems like these days, everyone is really embracing that mantra!
People are living longer, healthier, and more fulfilled lives than ever. They are seeing age through a new lens--that life doesn't stop after 40, it's just beginning!
Yet within that, a new relationship trend has emerged. The senior(over 60) divorce rate is on the rise in a big way, and the phenomenon has been termed Gray Divorce.
Here is everything you need to know about this new relationship trend and how it affects you!
What Is Gray Divorce?
The Times They Are 'A Changin'. And fast! Just think, 5 years ago we didn't know what Zoom was, and working from home seemed like a pipe dream. Now we don't know what we would do without either. Life is being lived on new terms and the old rules and regulations we thought we had to settle for, are getting a serious facelift.
First up on the fresh-faced list? Relationships. Relationships got a brand new look following Covid. The rise in divorce and breakup rates soared as people realized the things they had once valued in their partnership, were maybe not as important as they thought. People began to search for new meanings in their lives and new definitions of their relationships. They began seeking deeper connections, meaningful interaction, and aligned relationships.
And as it turns out, the over-60 crowd was no exception!
'Gray Divorce' is a new trending term you may have seen pop up in your social media feed, it is the term used to refer to couples 60 and older experiencing a rising divorce rate.
In previous times, getting divorced in your "senior" years would have been practically unheard of. If you made it that long you were probably going the whole distance, whether you liked it or not, whether you were fulfilled or not, whether you were even happy or not.
Now that is simply not the case. People are realizing our 40's are just a jumping-off point. They are a beginning, not an ending. Couples can still have exciting and passionate love lives well into their 70s and beyond! Now people are not only beginning to believe that, they are beginning to live that.
Why Gray Divorce Matters
You may be thinking something along the lines of "I'm in my 30's What do I care?" Excellent question. Gray Divorce is actually a cultural indicator we should all be paying attention to. It is showing us a shift in the collective timeline, in how we view age, and how we live it. Think about it, the previous timeline was you go to college, you get out around 22, you have it all figured out by 25, and by 30 you're old? Excuse me?
So we have exactly 3 years out in the real world to figure out not only who we are but who we want in a lifelong partner? Someone, we will be married to for 60 years or more? That equation simply does not add up.
Most of us(pretty much all of us) need far more time than that to figure out not only who we truly are, and what we want but who we want. Most women don't hit their sexual peak until their 30s. Which is exactly when the former timeline is telling us our oat sewing days should be behind us. If we needed more proof that the old timeline doesn't work, Gray Divorce is it, my friends! It's not time to settle down, it's time to live it up!
To Sum It Up...
So my advice is to take your time, there's really no rush. Figure out who you are and want and then go after it!
Remember, it's NEVER too late to live your best life. Just ask anyone going through a Gray Divorce! Your time is now! Whatever age or stage of life you are.
Remember...Your happiness matters, at any age!
Welcome to... The Gray Divorce.