Love Lasts Forever By Kathleen M. Rehl

By Kathleen M. Rehl, Ph.D., CFP®, CeFT® Emeritus

Love for both my late husband, Tom and my current husband, Charlie, has endured over decades.

On the evening of February 12, 2007, Tom died in my arms. Earlier, he had said, “Find a new partner when I’m gone. Don’t go through the rest of your life alone, because you have a lot more love to give.” He gave me the priceless opportunity to care deeply for another. Because of Tom’s kindness, I was able to find love again.

Four years after Tom’s passing, I met Charlie online—a widower with a story like mine.

When Charlie’s late wife, Ana, died, she didn’t want him to be without a partner either. Ana told him he should marry again. Indeed, she recommended one of her previously widowed lady friends as his potential new wife. Ana advised that was partly because “she’s a good cook.” But many years later, Charlie chose me instead. By the way, my culinary skills are top-notch.

Charlie and I first connected more than a dozen years ago. Seven years after that, in our early 70s, we tied the knot during a small backyard wedding ceremony attended by our adult children and young grandsons. This coming summer we’ll celebrate our fifth anniversary.

I’ll always be Tom’s widow. I’m also Charlie’s wife. There’s no end to true love for both. Real love lasts forever.

Kathleen M. Rehl, Ph.D., CFP®, CeFT® Emeritus wrote the award-winning book, Moving Forward on Your Own: A Financial Guidebook for Widows. She owned Rehl Financial Advisors for 18 years before retiring to a six-year encore career empowering widows. Now happily “reFired” in her 77th year, Rehl writes legacy prose, poetry, and letters . . . plus assists several nonprofits. Her work has been featured in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Next Avenue, Kiplinger’s, CNBC, USA Today, and other publications. Her website is https://kathleenrehl.com