My Mom has always tried to help me with suggestions for my business. Her latest mission was to come up with a slogan, in which she called upon the help of all her 75+ year old lady friends. And after much deliberation and consultation with her over the hill gang, she came up with..... Get a Date, Before it's Too Late'.

Well, not that 'Get Connected' is the ultimate in catchy slogans, but we are trying to appeal to professional singles, and I didn't think that Get a date, before it's too late' would be well received. So, I (gently) poo-pooed the idea, much to Mom's consternation. After all, what we are really looking for is relationships, intimacy and connection. Dating is just the process, however unpleasant, we have to do in order to get there.

Mom passed away last year at the age of 83, as a single adult. When someone we love passes on, it's hard not to look back and wonder if we should have done things differently, and to feel we were too judgmental. Alas, you don't know what you got until it's gone. Although the geriatric population has a different slant on dating, maybe I should have printed some brochures with Get a Date, Before it's to Late', and sent her a few of them (but to no one else). But in reality, while I don't think Mom knew this, there is a real issue here for discussion. And while it might raise a few hairs on the necks of my female readers, well.... Mom, this is for you.

With a database of over 1700 singles, certain statistical patterns emerge. My guess is that these statistics are not just resident in my group, but throughout the general dating industry. It seems that I hear from ladies in their 40's and 50's, but not as much from gals in their 20's or young 30's. I have lots of single men in their 20's and 30's, and I'll assume their partners were female, but I don't know where these ladies are.

Actually, I do. They are healing; recovering from broken relationships; working on themselves and their new issues at hand; and not anxious to get back on the dating band wagon. I understand this. Men will call me before the ink on the divorce papers is dry, because being on the rebound' is for other guys. Women are smarter than that. They deal with the immediate issues at hand, and put men on the back burner.

But there is a demographic problem here. I applaud women for taking the time it takes to heal, but I think maybe they are taking too much time. I have a lot of great women in my database in their late 40's and early 50's. Thoughtful, intelligent women, often in good physical, emotional and financial shape. As a matter of fact, often better then their male counterparts. Now, after five to ten years of being single, they realize that although the don't need a man, they would kind of like to have one around. And justifiable so, they seek physically, emotionally and financially stable men of their age.

The problem? Well, the good guys of their age, often seek and get, women five to ten years younger than themselves. It might not be right, or fair, but it is a reality. I believe men are evolutionarily attracted to young and attractive women, and women are evolutionarily attracted to stable men who can and will care or them. So this leaves middle aged women in a difficult position.

So, at the cost of being politically incorrect, and in deference to my Mom's good judgement, I say this to women readers in their 30's and early 40's. Take the time you need to heal, but don't put the inevitable off too long. You will be wanting to get back into the relationship thing sooner or later, even if it seems unimportant now. And so because it's hard to find a rhyme for relationship', my message for the day to you is (and this one's for you, Mom)

Get a date before it's too late' ........................ (Get a relationship and have some elationship?).

So long Mom. You just may have been right. I love you.