Gray Love: Dating and Mating After 60

The last thing on many people's minds when they hit the age of sixty is finding romance. However, life doesn't end at sixty, it can actually be just beginning for some. Senior dating, or what has come to be called "Gray Love," is a relatively new concept, but it is becoming increasingly popular.

With a growing aging population, more and more people find themselves single after the age of sixty. For some, that means looking for companionship and love. Aiding those dreams are dating apps such as OurTime and Stitch focusing on singles over fifty, making the search much easier. Today, anyone with a computer, smartphone and internet access can go online and find Gray Love.

While there is much excitement surrounding this new wave of senior love, it comes with its own unique set of challenges. Many seniors have been out of the dating game for so long, they may have forgotten the art of courtship. Letting a date pick up the tab or offering to meet for a cup of coffee in the afternoon might seem like strange rituals from another era. There's also the worry about how their children and grandchildren will feel about it.

There are practical concerns that come with starting over in your sixties. If there's a potential for marriage down the line, grey lovebirds should talk about finances and any potential issues resulting from past marriages and divorces. In addition, many seniors take medications and have chronic ailments that might make moving forward with a new relationship difficult.

But if two seniors can move past practical matters and the emotional baggage that comes with them, they can embark on one of the most thrilling journeys of all. Now free from the constraints of raising a family or providing for others, seniors can focus on experiencing life in a totally new way.

Exploring their newfound freedom side by side with someone they care about can bring a wealth of joy and warmth to their lives. Seniors can pack up and take day trips together, have adventures together, and enjoy quiet nights at home or out on the town. Senior couples may even help out each other as they make their way through the years, providing companionship and help with household chores and other matters.

For many seniors looking for Gray Love, loneliness is the primary motivator. But no matter what people's motivations are for seeking a partner, recovering from a past experience, or just wanting to find someone to share their remaining days with, if two people can look beyond the cultural stereotypes and social mores aimed at seniors and simply embrace each other as equals and companions, then age really is just a number.