Love Later in Life

As the sun shines into Renee Ramsdell’s living room, a ray hits her three-stone diamond engagement ring and causes a reflection to dance on her wall. The man who gave her this ring, Tom McDonald, sits opposite his fiancé and smiles when she speaks of her diamonds. “Yes, they’re beautiful,” Ramsdell admits, as she wiggles her fingers and admires the gift from McDonald.

Tom McDonald and Renee Ramsdell danced into each other's hearts ten years ago when they met at line dancing lessons.

McDonald and Ramsdell, like nearly all couples who are completely committed to each other, seem very much in love and hopeful about their future. They do lunch, go shopping, plan trips, and they even finish each other’s sentences. There is one particular thing, though, that sets them apart from most other engaged couples: They aren’t 20-something, they’re 80-something!

The couple met at a line dancing class offered in their hometown of Wakefield ten years ago. Only a few months after their introduction, they knew that they wanted to spend more time together than the dance lessons permitted and they started dating. McDonald and Ramsdell noticed that they had certain things in common right away: they were both widowed and retired with children and grandchildren, were lifelong residents of Wakefield, loved to dance, and felt a mutual attraction to each other. “The attraction was there and it just grew and grew,” says Ramsdell, as she remembers the feelings she had when she first met McDonald.

That original attraction they felt ten years ago hasn’t waned and neither has their interest in dancing. McDonald and Ramsdell consider dancing one of their favorite pastimes and do it whenever they have a chance. “You can get closer when you dance, you know?” says Ramsdell with twinkling eyes and a grin. Some of their favorites are ballroom dancing, line dancing, the Cha-Cha, the Rumba, the Waltz, and Swing. “I think these days they call it Swing dancing, but back in our day it was called the Jitterbug,” she explains as McDonald nods in agreement.

Even when McDonald and Ramsdell aren’t dancing, they occupy their time with other shared interests. “You couldn’t go wrong with all the things we have in common,” says McDonald. “We’re really compatible.” Some of their common interests include dining out, listening to music, getting out to see a movie or a performance at the theater, and traveling. Throughout their relationship they’ve been up and down the Northeast with destinations that include Maine, New Hampshire, Cape Cod, and Rhode Island. One of their most memorable trips was to the Marginal Way, a mile long trail along the rocky coast of Ogunguit, Maine, that included three of McDonald’s favorite things: walking, the outdoors, and Ramsdell. “We looked at the flowers all around us and sat down on the benches to enjoy the beautiful views,” McDonald remembers.

McDonald and Ramsdell truly appreciate each other and all that they’ve shared over the years. “There have never been any unkind words between us,” says Ramsdell, commenting on the success of their relationship. McDonald attributes their happiness to the friendship they have cultivated through the years. “She’s the love of my life, but she’s my best friend too,” he says.

Even though Ramsdell proudly wears her diamond ring, she and McDonald don’t currently have any plans for their wedding, nor have they solidified plans for this Valentine’s Day quite yet. “We’ll probably go to dinner and we’ll definitely be together,” says Ramsdell about their tentative plans for the romantic holiday. Judging by their appreciation for dining out and dancing, the couple won’t likely spend Valentine’s Day at home.

McDonald and Ramsdell feel that their tendency to get out and stay active keeps their relationship healthy and helps them stay young at heart. “We never sit around the house and feel sorry for ourselves or feel that we’re getting old,” says McDonald. Ramsdell agrees. “We definitely don’t sit around in our rocking chairs!”