There is something about reaching 50 years old that’s a bit of a wake-up call for many individuals. You may suddenly realize that more than half of your life is behind you along with your youth as well as many of your hopes and dreams. The idea that you have all the time in the world to do the things that you always wanted to do is starting to close in on you, that time frame shrinking all the time.
a wake-up call like this can have you wondering if the way your life is now is the way you want to live the rest of your life. When you start this type of thinking it’s likely that you will also you into the realms of your relationships and have you taking a serious look at them especially the one you have with your spouse.
With statistics having shown in more recent years how the divorce rate has escalated in the 50 and over age group it’s obvious that there are a lot of people that have decided that this was not the way they want to spend the rest of their life, especially with this specific partner. Sometimes it will be both partners that will recognize the problems and will agree that they no longer want to stay together. And other times just one partner gets to the point that wants out of the relationship which can be an unexpected and devastating blow to the other partner.
There are a lot of couples that threaten or talk about separating or getting a divorce when things go wrong, they do this for years but for one reason or another they never do anything about it. Some of the most common reasons are because they have kids that are still living at home and they feel they should stay together for them. Another common reason is because they don’t want to divide their assets or will be much worse off financially. But one day something happens, maybe the kids leave home or it may be something quite insignificant that becomes the tipping point and they decide that the time has come and they start divorce proceedings. It’s one thing to talk about separation and another thing to do something about it.
When the kids leave home or when you retire these are changes that can make or break a relationship. If you and your spouse have made your relationship a top priority, have continued to make time for each other, are good friends, have some common interests the chances are good that you are going to enjoy your time together as you grow older, and in your retirement. It is likely that your relationship may become even stronger as you have more time to focus on each other. If on the other hand you have neglected your relationship, made everything else a higher priority, spend little or no time together, have nothing in common the chances are you are going to have a difficult time when there is just the two of you are alone with lots of time on your hands. If you are both retired living under the same roof with nothing to talk about and have become virtual strangers the things could be pretty grim. If you are willing to work at your relationship you may ignite the spark that was once there that brought you together in the first place. You may start to enjoy each others company once more or you could drive each other crazy and won’t be able to handle the changes you are facing.
There is so much going on as you reach the age of 50 and over, mentally, emotionally and physically. Things are changing, even with the best intentions we do start to slow down, our bodies are changing. Our energy and fitness levels take more effort to maintain. On top of this are the thoughts about what the future holds. How many more years will you work, what will you do then, plus there maybe the kids leaving home, what about becoming a grandparent, it is certainly a period when change happens.
Before making any hasty decisions about your life and relationship take your time and make sure you look at all your options. Sometimes we make mistakes that we cannot undo so be sure you look at all the angles before you act, especially when making a major decision like divorce.