Dear Blake,
Is it OK for 70-year-olds to get engaged? Both of us are widowed after long marriages. My wife died two years ago. Her husband passed more than three years ago. I am 77, and she is 75. We are both active and feel lucky to have found love again. We have been a couple for seven months now. I could find nothing about it on the internet. Also, how long should we be engaged? Could we announce an engagement without setting a wedding date? Should I give her an engagement ring?
Signed, Herbert
From Hartford, Connecticut
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Dear Herbert,
On one hand, I am glad the two of you found love after long marriages. On the other hand, I think the two of you are way too rickety to be walking down the aisle. Anyway, here is some of my suggestions. You wanted to know how long should the two of you be engaged? I don’t think it should be any longer than a couple of hours, because once you reach 75, your bones become so brittle, that if you slip and fall, you’ll have so many broken bones that not even all the king’s horses and all the king’s men… well you know what I’m talking about. You asked if you should set a wedding date? The answer is “no” because more than likely, neither of you will probably remember it if it’s more than a week away. As far as an engagement ring, I say purchase something more practical, like a couple of cell phones that has extra large numbers and letters, with automatic speed dials to 911 and local funeral homes. But there is a an upside for you and your fiancé getting married, which is, you don’t have to worry about any unwanted pregnancies, because antiques cannot create anything new. I hope this helps.
Blake