Have you ever wondered what some of your old friends are up to these days? Or a past sweetheart? With today’s technology, it is actually quite easy to reconnect with individuals from your past. Additionally, the COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the value of technology in bringing people together. As a result, now 4 out of 5 adults over age 50 rely on technology to stay connected with family and friends. So, why not use technology to connect with a past sweetheart this Valentine’s Day?
Why Rekindle Past Relationships
Some seniors have the fairytale ending they always wanted and are still enjoying life with their partner by their side. But, for many seniors, this isn’t reality. Perhaps their spouse passed away, or they divorced long ago. Many seniors are looking for love in the later years of their life, and past relationships can actually be a good place to start, and here’s why:
- You’ve both matured. Relationships may work the second time around because you’ve had the time to mature and reflect on what you want in life and in a partner. Work, children, and other factors aren’t as relevant to the relationship now as they were years ago. Communication skills and happiness levels also improve with age, which could contribute to success.
- Feelings are still there. Sometimes, the feelings you have for a person don’t go away. While the romantic flame may fade, you may still have feelings of admiration and respect for someone. These feelings could be the foundation to spark that romantic flame again. After all, you did love them once…
- You already know a lot about them. A lot of work in relationships is just laying the groundwork and getting past the small talk. While there’s still a lot to learn about the person your former sweetheart has become, there will still be a lot that you already know about this person.
- You can reminisce. As you reconnect, you’ll likely remember old times — the good and the bad. Reflecting on the past is healthy and beneficial for seniors. It can help you see how far you’ve come while also reminding you of fun memories you may have forgotten.
- Fight feelings of loneliness. If you’ve been single for a while, it’s likely that you feel lonely. A natural human desire is to be social. Reconnecting with past love interests can help you feel more fulfilled and fight feelings of loneliness and isolation.
So, if you’ve had someone on your mind, there is no better time to find your former sweetheart than the most romantic time of the year.
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Finding Long-Lost Friends
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Try a Google search. If you aren’t sure where to begin searching for someone, search for them on Google — the world’s largest search engine. Type their full name in quotation marks, such as “John Doe.” Include any relevant words, including their profession or last known city. You’ll likely get many results, but your lost love could be among them.
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Search on Facebook.The most popular social media network for adults is Facebook. This social platform also has a large search engine, allowing you to find friends all over the world. Search the name of your sweetheart. If you cannot track down the person by name, look for potential family members with the same last name in the area or siblings you may remember. They may be friends with the person you are looking for, and you can find them that way. (PS: You can get help using Facebook in our blog post.)
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Reach out to your network. You can also reach out to former classmates or friends that knew the individual and ask if they have any contact information. Social media platforms, like Facebook, have a chat function built in, making it easy to send messages back and forth.
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Utilize a people search database. Some websites are dedicated solely to helping people track down others. Be wary of some of these sites though. Unfortunately, some sites are looking to take advantage of seniors. But there are many free and legitimate people search databases out there. For example, ZabaSearch is a comprehensive search engine loaded with published and unlisted phone numbers.
Once you’ve found your long-lost friend, reach out to them! Likely, they will be happy to hear from you. And from there… it’s all up to you!
