Love After Sixty

My heart is filled to overflowing this week for a good man, a dear friend, who has found the love to last for the rest of his life.

Long-time readers of this blog have read my accounts of The Traveler and our escapades over the years. We first met online in early- to mid-2006. We became pixel-pals; he became a follower of my blog. When one of that year's three-month relationships ceased, we decided to try dating. After a couple of dates, we realized we would be really good friends, but not sweethearts.

You could never have a truer, more loyal friend than this man. This is a man who deserves to have someone to love. He's a motivated employee, a fair supervisor, a loving and supportive dad, a patriot, a true and ethical citizen. A Good Man.

A year ago he went with two women friends to a Friday night mix-and-mingle at a restaurant on the north side of Tucson. Seated across the restaurant was an age-appropriate woman who caught his eye. When he saw the opportunity to do so, he walked over to her table, sat down across from her, and said, "Hi. I'm [The Traveler], and I think you're very cute." Or something similar—I'm sure I'm not remembering his tale exactly right.

On February 10 of 2009, he took her to his favorite Tucson restaurant, Les Rendezvous, and slowly began wooing her and falling in love with her. Through the year, I would get morning-drive-time calls from him with the latest updates on their developing relationship. A month ago he called to tell me he had bought a ring. I was elated.

On February 10 of 2010, he took her back to Les Rendezvous and asked her to marry him. And smart girl that she is, she said yes.

How wonderful for so deserving a couple to have found each other, at our age, when most of our life has passed.

How wonderful to save the best for last.

And here, for your viewing pleasure, is Judy, telling everyone in Les Rendezvous, "Look. I'm engaged!"