Do you have a no-no list?

As a female who’s lived through more than seven decades, I’ve been diagnosed with six months to live in 2008, and I’m currently dating a man many years younger than herself. I definitely have a no-no list. Can you relate?

I will never give up on romance.

I don’t care that my partners are young. And they seem to get younger every year. A close girlfriend asked me recently why I’m dating someone decades younger than me. I don’t really know how to answer that question. It’s certainly not about sex. He definitely has far more stamina and a much stronger sex drive than I do. So I answered with the first thought that came to my mind. I choose my partners by the size of their hearts, not numbers in their bank accounts nor on a birth certificate.

I’ll never let a man abuse me physically or emotionally — again.

I admit it. I’ve always been afraid of men. Maybe it’s the depth of their voice or the strength in their bodies. I have fear when they raise their voices. And sometimes, I find myself looking behind to see if someone is following me. Maybe it’s a result of an angry father who always seemed to drink too much and argued constantly. I remember far too many times that I spent crying in my bedroom. Or it could have been the time my first husband of six months hit me. It could be a trust issue. But I will never let a man abuse me physically or emotionally again.

I will never smoke — anything.