77-Year Marriage Shouldn't Be Broken by a Little Cheating
When we think of old people in love (think super, super old), we generally think of diamond commercials featuring wrinkled hands clasped in everlasting adoration. We think of happy couples who bicker affectionately after decades spent loving one another, fighting, making up and making babies. We do not think of divorce.
But for one couple in Italy, divorce court is exactly where they are headed. And the only difference between them and the other millions of couples who divorce around the world is their age. Antonio C, now 99, is demanding a divorce of his wife of 77 years after discovering that she (Rosa C, his 96-year-old wife) carried on a love affair back in the 1940's.
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Antonio does not see fit to forgive his wife despite the fact that she begged for it and apologized. So, at 99, he is going to become the world's oldest divorced man. Does that seem a bit rash to anyone else?
I don't like to make a habit of judging the mating habits of senior citizens, but seriously, Antonio: After nearly eight decades together, five children, a dozen grandchildren and one great-grand child, you can't forgive an indiscretion that was sixty years ago?
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Look, I won't pretend to understand what goes on in someone else's bedroom and the article does suggest that this couple was not new to marital discord. But as someone who would give anything to make it that long with my spouse (and who is already more than a decade in), I have to say this seems like a bad decision.
Love is not something that happens overnight and the kind of love you form after years together is so much more meaningful than the kind you have in the beginning of a relationship or even a couple years in.
It grows deeper and stronger and maybe through this, Antonio will discover that he does not want to be without his Rosa. Maybe this will be a movie. Because come on, people. You have made it this far and she obviously did not leave him for his other man, which has to say something. Pride is a good thing. Until it isn't.
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She is 96. He is 99. They have already grown old together. What are a few more years? This story makes me sad.
Do you think he should be leaving his wife at 99?
Image via CarbonNYC/Flickr
Written by Sasha Brown-Worsham on CafeMom's blog, The Stir.
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