Oops! I meant “unexpectadly died OF a heart attack”. You can tell it’s late, as my grammer is starting to go! LOL!

PSB- I see your point, but you can be left a widow in your 50s no matter how close in age you are to your spouse. My great-grandmother, for example, became a widow in her early 50s when my great-grandfather, who was also in his early 50s, unexpectedly died from a heart attack. In her case, she never re-married, and from what I’ve heard, it sounds like she was quite content with that.

Granted, it’s a lot more likely that you will be widowed in your 50s if your spouse is 20 or 30 years older than you. However, even it can happen even if they are the same age as you!

I’m with Erica. I don’t think what she said was that bad. My grandparents were 20 yrs apart and their arriage was fine, but my grandmother was left a widow in her 50’s and had a very hard time finding love afte that. It’s not easy at any age, but being left a widow once you’re nearing retirement age is tough.

As for Billy and Katie Lee, they may have a wonderful relationship. I’m not saying it’s not possible, but 30+ yrs is a HUGE gap. I wonder what Billy Joel needs from a 22 yr old that he can’t get from a 32 or 42 yr old who looks really good.

I think a lot of times men with issues choose really young women because they are easier to impress and this makes them feel great. Maybe they are afraid of mortality and this make them feel young? Young women might like the experience and worldliness of an older man or maybe they have daddy issues? Who knows. I guess whatver issues they both have mesh and they work together and make them happy. I think these relationships can be mutually beneficial, but I don’t really find them very normal, if I’m being completely honest here. I could be wrong, maybe they are soul mates–but I guess I’m just a cynic.

I agree with Erica.

I actually thought Hush was the catty, name calling one…

It is a bit strange, since his daughter isn’t much younger than his wife…and you really can’t name call and blame people for thinking that’s just odd…

OooGoose–

This is the comments section of a website. It’s hardly a platform or a soapbox for the entire world to be forced to listen to. And more specifically, I was referring an earlier post which made it sound as if sharing common interests completely negates a more than 30 year age gap. Considering in this case that Billy Joel must have met his wife when she was two or so years out of high school and he was well into his fifties…yeah like I said me and my dad share a ton of interests too but I doubt he would be interested in marrying someone his daughter’s age or younger.

My last comment was relatively mild, and by your own admission you have family members in a similar situation to BJ’s so perhaps you are overly sensitive on this issue. No one’s attacking you for holding your opinion and there’s no need for you to take offense to a statement which was not even directed at you. Also, there is a way bigger difference between 20 years and 33 years anyway–I doubt anyone would really blink at a 26 year old with a 45/46 year old, but a 50+ year old man courting a woman fresh out of high school is a totally different story.

OooGooose- ITA about age being just a number! Take my two sets of grandparents, for example. One set was only a year apart in age, while the other set had an age gap of nearly eight years. Although both of them had, as far as I can tell, very loving, happy marriages, the set that was only one year apart in age actually had more troubles in their marriage than the set with the nearly eight year age gap.

Granted, I realize that eight years is not the same thing as 20+ years, 30+ years, or even 40 or more + years. However, people with wide age gaps can have wonderful marriages, while people closer in age can easily have trouble or occasionally rough marriages.

It’s just like how some people are great parents in their twenties or even teens, and other people the same age are horrible parents….and some people in their 40s are great parents and others are horrible parents.

Well said Hush. I don’t get why anyone would care? They are adults.

Hush… Well said!!!

Erica, a little catty there? Pull the claws in!!!

There is an age gap of 20 years with my parents, and all of four of their children(my two sisters and brother and I) have great jobs, great believes and great values because we grew up seeing how much our parents loved each other and us.

Age is a number. Period. If you have a problem with their age difference, then that’s your issue. Don’t take it out on the rest of the world

Hush–

I am 22 years old.

I know a man who is 26+ years my senior who also shares my religious and politic beliefs. We have the same taste in foods, books, films, and overall life philosophy. He’s a man who understands me and has my best interests at heart.

Oh, and he’s also my father.

BRAVO Hush! Well said.