I'm taking the dating plunge, and it's scary.
I lost my beloved husband several months ago. Chuck and I were married on Bastille Day, 1984. He was diagnosed with brittle Type I Diabetes at age 4, so I knew when I married him that I would most likely lose him early. Three years ago I had to put him in a nursing home because I work full time and the diabetes caused vascular dementia. It was unsafe for Chuck to be at home alone for 9 hours a day. He was still Chuck, but his short term memory was shot. He took a month's worth of blood pressure medicine in 3 days, and injected insulin too many times because he'd forgotten that he'd just done it. I loved him desperately and I loved him deeply. I visited him as much as I could, but our life together as we knew it was over. I never looked at another man in 31 years. He was my best friend. When he died, I thought my life was essentially over too. I figured that I'd had my shot at love and I was okay with that.
Enter Facebook. I was cruising the potential friends list in 2012 when I noticed my old college boyfriend, the first guy I ever really loved. We were 18, much too young to settle down. We eventually ended up with other people, but I always had affection for him. In fact, Chuck and I invited him and his wife to our wedding and they came. We lost contact with each other the way many old friends do when daily life gets in the way. Anyway, he accepted my friend request and I discovered his wife was suffering from ALS. It was quite a coincidence because I lost my dad to ALS in 2000. It's not a common disease, but both of us were devastated by it. He loved his wife as much as I loved Chuck, and she passed away about 16 months ago.
We really started communicating about a month ago, and realized that the feelings we had when we were 18 are still there. He turned 60 in October and I'm hitting that milestone in June. He is the kindest man I've ever met--even kinder than Chuck, lol. His politics are completely in sync with mine, which is good. If he had turned into a bagger or something, it would be a deal breaker. We message each other and talk to each other on the phone for about 3 hours a day. He lives about 75 miles from me, and is on a trip to Florida he planned before we really started talking. Our first face-to-face date is a week from Saturday. Valentine's Day. Talk about pressure, LOL.
I am completely blown away by my feelings for this guy, and he is by his for me. For all of you other broken-hearted people out there, please don't give up. I don't know where this will lead, but at the very least I know that I will have a very dear friend for the rest of my life.
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Funny how we are drawn to our prior romances, at least I am, rather than want to start anything entirely new.
It gives one pause about the people we meet on our life's journey, and the decisions we make.
I would not get married to that woman if I could do it all over again.
Be well and good luck!
Familiar ground, you know. So many train wrecks. 
I'm thinking maybe if I could stop hoping for "good love" (as the saying goes), I could just feel more at ease about being old and alone now.
Hmmmm....it's the big thing I've always wanted.....but if I could figure out how to not care anymore, it might be easier.
You both deserve to be happy after so much heartbreak. I think it's lovely that you are finally reconnecting.
...things in life, especially with the heartbreak that you've endured. Please keep us posted.
I'm so sorry for your loss, but happy for what you are gaining.
very heartwarming! 
Relax, enjoy what comes and be happy that you found each other after all these years.
let us know how it goes!
away the feelings we had for others. I'm sure it will be wonderful
Just have fun, that's all that matters.
I have a feeling we'll be seeing happy updates on this story
