The famous Beatles song goes: "Will you still need me, will you still feed me, when I'm 64?" Well, Paul McCartney answered his own question with a big fat "No!" Right after turning 64, he and his second wife, Heather Mills, divorced.
It's not uncommon these days for even long-married folks to separate. The U.S. divorce rate for couples in their 50s and 60s has doubled in the past 24 years: Today, 1 in 4 divorces occurs between couples 50 or older, and it's 1 in 10 among those over 65.
Why is this happening? Perhaps because many people are living longer, healthier lives (at age 72, Sir Paul enjoys a third wife, great health and boundless energy) and don't feel duty-bound to stay in a dysfunctional relationship.
They realize they've got a lot of life left to enjoy — that's is, if they've eaten right, stayed trim, exercised and managed stress (which a dysfunctional relationship usually causes).
Plus, leaving a toxic relationship helps reduce your risk of heart disease, according to Michigan State University researchers, and lessens the risk for depression.
But divorce isn't always the smart choice. Repairing a broken marriage deepens love and reinforces its health benefits, like longevity and happiness.
Such repairs often can be achieved with marriage counseling: Some studies show that it improves 70 percent of relationships.
So if your long-term relationship is rocky, consider seeing a counselor. Then you may be able to sing another 1967 tune, The Turtles' "Happy Together."
"I can't see me loving nobody but you for all my life!"
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