really sorry for your loss .. sending a warm hug across the pacific from me treasure your memories and try not to let any sadness in .
Yes , spending Christmas with my parents , 3 sisters , 2 brothers and a mob of nephews /nieces . They all live in the north island so I am travelling from the south for some Christmas chaos . It has been a very busy year for me so haven’t seen them in person as much as I would like. Definitely planning to overload on them lol .

it can be a disjointed and disappointing time when it comes to family connections /commitments . I will light a candle for you at midnight mass and make a special Christmas wish . Keep smiling :-)

. I am sure that is the reality of Christmas for many . Treat yourself with your favourite things and maybe see what your mingle friends are up to xox

Hi u haven’t seen you posting in awhile . Hope you have a magical Christmas too . I am planning to post new pics soon so will be sure to include my Christmas dress

I decided against wrapping myself in gold tinsel and have bought a sexy red body hugging satin dress instead .. red is my favourite colour .. bring on Christmas

Old-fashioned shouldn't be a dealbreaker so I guesstimate it's your criteria. That in itself sounds off-putting.
It's okay to have a bit of a list of things you hope to find but criteria is pushing it.
The difference might be subtle, but if your criteria & demands are all mental, from the head, you're setting yourself up for failure.
Love and relationships are visceral, feeling, living entities.

In the quizzes men make on that dating site that I've mentioned before I see a lot of such mental questions and criteria. It isn't inviting, not welcoming, and don't make a woman feel good.
Almost like when you tie your shoelaces in a way they don't like or hang up the bog roll the wrong way round men don't want you.
Those are just silly examples, but they show how men judge a women as suitable or not suitable.
There's no interest in the woman, the person, no feelings, nothing.

In essence it shows such men aren't in their own heart space but in their head. And that's not a good place to be if you want to find love.

Maybe that's not what your criteria are like, but if they are maybe try to shift into a more welcoming mindset and a softening of your criteria.

Yes, by choice, as no one meets my criteria. I'm too old-fashioned for this modern world. Totally expect to die alone.

I mistakenly used the word self-affirmation instead of self-assurance. Anyway, do you regret any past relationship decision you made?

3 years. It's not a long time, but I don't look forward to being in a relationship anytime soon. Right now my kids and career are my main priorities.

Yes, and I thought I was over it all, ready again, right before the pandemic.
However, last year I unexpectedly saw him in my local supermarket and I was shell-shocked. Totally off-kilter and later on angry. I didn't get why he was here, the audacity! He lives 155km from me, so why my village?
I realised there was still some residual something inside me so I worked through that. Also had to decide what to do if I was to see him again. Say something? Ignore him? What? I worked it out, thank goodness I did as I did see him 2 more times!?

Then last month I got an email from him about something practical. We exchanged 2 mails, and after that it felt good, okay, I had let go completely and moved into softer feelings. Forgiveness as well, finally, as I couldn't before.
So in a way it took me 5 yrs to completely heal and come to forgiving.
If you take into account that many would already be in a new relationship by that time... They then take that residual anger, negativity, etc. with them in the new connection.
And then people wonder why there are so many break-ups. Much is due to not taking proper time to heal & recover.

Currently single for 5 yrs. Like Bonnie, I needed much of that time to get my head straight. Took me quite some time to bounce back from my last relationship and I do not seek a new one until my heart is ready for it again.
And of course we had the pandemic, just when I felt ready to start dating again. But I didn't see the point of dating with facemasks on, restaurants closed etc etc.

I don't mind being alone tbh. Most important thing is to have a good relationship between you and you. Without that you cannot have a good relationship with another.

Are you seeking self-affirmation?

People say, "no man is an island". I've been a very narrow peninsula since I was born.