Marriages a growing casualty of aging

There were three of us pedaling on the stationary bikes lined in a row along the wall at the physical therapy center. Each bike had its own screen to let us tally our imaginary laps and check how many not-imaginary calories we were burning.

Talking always makes the pedaling seem easier, so we were yakking. Actually, we were discussing divorce. Specifically, the latest AARP Bulletin article trumpeting “divorce rates for 50-plus adults are surging.” And “‘gray divorce’ puts pressure on finances.”

Said the woman to my right, “It’s true. I’ve been married 48 years and I would never get divorced because it’s just not a smart thing financially. But more and more women I know who have been married a long time are staying married but doing less with their husbands.