#65 - Then and Now
We are a community of singles and non-singles sharing our relationship journeys. Welcome to our weekly newsletter that includes a few stories, a rotating topic, and anything new we are trying out. It’s early days - thanks for being curious about us and following along.
Well that went by real quick - 2023 is wrapping up and 2024 is peaking around the corner. It feels like the right time for a fun fact. It is a popular season, and not just for the holidays. Two stories below from the same person at two different stages of life and a Wild Card about this other very popular season.
Happy Holidays! We will be back in your inboxes next year.
Our Stories
These are real stories collected from otters we meet along the way.
Part 1: 58F | Married | Sales | San Diego, CA
My college roommates warned me that I just met the party boy at the keg. My guard went up to an appropriate height. He asked for my number. I smiled, said yes, and moved the conversation along just enough to where he forgot about the ask and kept schmoozing. He caught me again before I left and made sure he got my number. That party guy turned into a family guy with two kids and eventually a neighborhood guy throwing epic pizza parties for our entire neighborhood. Our worst nightmare knocked on our door after 33 years of marriage – terminal illness. We are fighting, but there is no winning this battle. It’s just a matter of how long.
Part 2: 64F (6 years later) | Widowed | Sales | San Diego, CA
It took time. It took moving to a new home. It took creating a whole new set of memories. It took effort. My daughter, son, and I kept up with our annual family vacations with one fewer family member. Now the three of us have entered a new adult chapter of life where we are all single. My daughter is convinced we should be on a reality tv show about being a family of singles. If there was to be a show, I think my subplot would draw the most viewers because we recently learned that my new neighbor is single. I can’t imagine saying I’m ready to date. Sometimes I’m looking to have a chat with someone my age who is also single. That thought helped me invite him to our holiday party.
Wildcard
What caught our eye in the land of relationships and dating this week? A podcast, an article, a meme…or something else? It’s a wildcard with a dash of MTO’s point of view.
Seasonal Fun Facts
It turns out 19% of all engagement proposals happen in the month of December. In fact we are in the thick of what is known as “proposal season”. Forty percent of proposals happen between November and February.
There’s even a list of top five most popular days within this season. Christmas Day is the most popular day to propose. Second most popular is December 24th. Next is New Year’s Day, January first. Fourth place is December 22nd, and lastly is Valentine’s Day.
Thanks for sharing some of your Tuesdays here this year. We are grateful for it!
See you in January!
-Simran