One and Done

Dr. Laura, I am a subscriber to your website, and I try to stay current with your podcasts. Lately, it seems that several people have called in about remarrying later in life because they want companionship, but many don’t seem to consider the obligations that come with it. You are right to caution them.

One of my mother-in-law’s friends was widowed suddenly at the age of 49. Within a few years, she remarried a man who was about 10 years older than she was. Sadly, just a year or two after they were married, her new husband was diagnosed with cancer. She cared for him for the next 14 years, and not long after he passed away, she did as well. 🥺

After hearing that story, I silently pledged that I was “one and done” in the marriage department—even though my husband and I have always had a wonderful marriage.

My husband and I own a business. I was a full-time mother and homemaker for 25 years while he was the one who went to work each day. As responsible business owners and parents, we hired an attorney 36 years ago to establish a trust to protect our business and our estate after our deaths because of the federal estate tax laws at the time regarding family businesses.

The evening we signed the legal papers, my husband and I were discussing “what if” scenarios. He told me that if he passed away first, since we were both in our early 40s at the time, he expected I would eventually remarry. However, he wanted me to find someone who was mature, financially established, and capable of helping preserve the estate for our children.

I thought about it for a few seconds and replied, “Well, honey, I hate to even contemplate that—you know—but actually, I was considering looking for someone younger!” 😉

That was the last time we ever discussed it. 😂

Thankfully, the good Lord has blessed us, although we certainly earned everything we have through hard work and perseverance. We are now 76 and 79, and we’re both still working every day in the family business because we genuinely enjoy what we do. Our oldest son now owns the business and handles all the major responsibilities that my husband used to carry.

July 29 marked our 54th wedding anniversary, and he is still the love of my life. I’d say I did pretty well when I picked “the one!”

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