It took 88 years, but I found love!

After nearly nine decades of waiting, I thought that I’d left it too late…

You know the cliches about falling in love…

Instant sparks, butterflies in your belly? Well, I’d never felt any of that.

In fact, I’d never been in love.

I dated, but I simply never met The One.

And after several decades, I pretty much gave up.

Focused on the things I did have – friends, family, my job and travel.

I lived a good life. Who needs men, anyway?

Before I knew it, I was 88 and still single.

Happy, but I was an old lady who still didn’t know what all those romantic films and soppy songs were on about.

That was until March 2017.

I was sitting at the bus stop in my retirement village in Figtree, New South Wales, Australia, when a man pulled up in his car.

‘Would you like a lift?’ he smiled sweetly.

I probably should have been wary – he was a stranger, after all.

But there was just something about the silver-haired driver. A jolt from the blue?

‘Beats getting the bus,’ I chuckled, finding myself trusting him.

As we drove to the shops, he told me his name was Martin, and he was 84.

But I didn’t really notice anything else he said.

Was too distracted by his charming Irish accent. When it was time for us to part ways, I left with a fuzzy feeling. Because he’s such a gent, I smiled.

I thought nothing more of it.

But a week later, Martin pulled up at my bus stop again.

And a week after that, he was on my doorstep.

‘I’m told you’re the young lady to speak to about the village?’ he winked.

As the longeststanding resident

I often showed people around.

So another resident had sent Martin my way, not knowing we’d met before.

As we walked around, we learnt more about one another.

We spoke about his daughter and granddaughter.

I told him about my cousin Doreen

– the reason I’d moved to the village in the first place.

‘Since she passed away in

2000, it’s been just me in my little house,’ I told him.

From then on, Martin and I saw each other daily.

He’d pop in to mine on his morning walk, then I’d go and see him for tea in the afternoon.

I found myself waiting at the window,

I didn’t know what all those soppy songs were on about