Hi, and thanks for visiting my forum. I'm looking at my subject and thinking, wow, I'm not an expert in this. But I am very experienced, so I'll at least open the discussion. :) As I write this, I'm looking at love from the perspective of a 26...almost 27...year marriage. People ask us, "How do you do it?" as if that were a very long time to be married. Maybe these days it is, but my parents had been married over 50 years when my dad passed away, my paternal grandparents over 50 when we lost PaPa, and my maternal grandparents over 60 when Grandmother left us. I was the first in my immediate family to be divorced, after my first (nine-year)marriage. So how do we do it? I don't know. I think it's because we're friends as well as lovers. My husband makes me laugh every single day. He teases me unmercifully, just like a kid. He can still make my heart skip a beat with a special tender smile. He supported, loved and eventually adopted my two boys from my first marriage, and raised them as his own. He goes to work at a corporate job (that he doesn't especially enjoy) every single day so that I have the luxury of finding my way to success here at home. Those are some of the reasons I love him. I don't have a clue why he still loves me, but he must have his reasons. :) So what's this thread about? Well, if you've read my Our Never Too Late Stories thread, you'll know I have tangible evidence that it's never too late to find love. I also believe that love can be regained after you think it's too late. Though we're not married any more, my first husband and I managed, through the grace of his current wife, to become friends again. I truly care for both of them, and I believe the feeling is mutual. So I'd like to open a discussion around all of that. Will you share your stories? Remember the old song and movie, The Second Time Around? That's OK, sometimes it takes a try or two to get it right. Let's hear about success in love and relationships. If you need encouragement, I hope we can help. Maybe I'll seek out a relationsip counselor or specialist to come and lead us. If it truly IS too late, for example if you are involved in an abusive relationship, I have some information that may help you. Post here or private message me and I'll get it to you. I also hope to attract specialists in that arena to become involved, too. Thanks for visiting! Hope to see you back soon. Cheri -------------------------------------------- Cheri Merz is a real estate broker and home-based business entrepreneur. She also publishes a web-based ezine that explores the pathways to success at any age. Visit Never2Late4Success for more articles, stories and celebrations of subscribers' success. These are some of my favorite success books. Please also visit My Offers.

Hi Cheri, This forum touches close to home for me. I was divorced with a 2 year old baby at the age of 20. I spent years doing nothing but raising my daughter, working and going to school - who had time for a personal life :) Then as my daughter got older I started stepping out into the dating world - It was awful!! But like you I was raised by parents that are still madly in love, they have been together since my Mom was 12 and Dad 14 and they still melt a room when they look at each other. So I knew that real love existed and still had hope for the fairytale. Then just last year it happened! LOVE, his name is Ernie and we plan to marry next year. I won't say it's been all roses but the thorns that we have run across have just made us stronger. We believe that because of them we have been tested and that we truly have a love that can endure. Okay, I'll stop babbling now - good luck to all those who are still looking. But remember, we all deserve the fairytale.

Gina, Thank you! This is exactly the kind of story I was hoping for. In your spare time, I need you to write up all your successes for my website. Please? Cheri

Hi Cheri, Spare time - your funny What kind of successes are you looking for?

Gina, All of them! Have you visited my website Never2Late4Success? Click on Our Stories, you'll see what I'm looking for. The same story is also repeated here in the thread Our Never Too Late Stories. I thought you'd like that spare time comment. Oxymoron, huh. Cheri