Young or Old—Love is in the Air, part 2

When elderly parents fall in love it affects more than just the lovers, it has an impact on their concerned children as well. This is especially true when the lovebirds want to make significant changes in their lives; things such as getting married or moving in with each other. In Monday’s post we shared a news story about 5 things you should talk about before a late-in-life marriage, today we’d like to look at the flip side: What is a son or daughter to do when mom or dad falls in love?

Anne Underwood, guest writer on the New Old Age Blog, shares the story of her father’s new love at the age of 86, and his decision to leave the retirement community where he lived and move to another state to be with the object of his affection. Underwood writes in poignant detail as she describes something more and more adult children are experiencing as their parents age: The struggle between her desire to support her father and the decisions he makes, and the need to protect him as he ages.