Family time WITHOUT PAIN.

‘Is there going to be somebody else?’ You hope and sometimes you get lucky—sometimes you get to go to speed dating!”

Joel feels freedom in dating as a senior. He said former courting protocol, such as waiting a certain amount of time before calling and setting up a date, doesn’t seem as relevant in his stage of life.

“Why waste time? If there’s an opportunity, take advantage of it,” he said.

Joel sends Charlotte a text message each morning to brighten her day with a sweet note like, “Good Morning, Sunshine!” complete with a flower emoji.

“I’m emotional and I believe in expressing lighthearted affection,” he explained. “If you feel that way about someone, let them know. It’s no secret.”

Just as Joel and Charlotte don’t feel the need to follow dating rules, they don’t feel the need to clarify their relationship. To them, a label such as “significant other” would diminish other important relationships in their lives, and the status “boyfriend and girlfriend” would make them feel like teenagers.

This month, they choose to call each other “Valentine.”