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The dating world can have a rough reentry for women who got married before smartphones existed. To learn the ropes, Bala’s Beth Samberg joined a Facebook group for local single moms. At more than 330 members, it’s a powerful suburban sorority “for moms who are newly separated, have been divorced a long time, or never married,” says Samberg.
Alice joined similar groups. Married for more than 25 years, her husband left her in 2010. At the end of her 40s and living in Berwyn, she sought to educate herself about the intricacies of divorce. “I went to the Women’s Resource Center in Wayne and joined every divorced women’s group possible,” she says. “I met a wonderful group who taught me things about divorce itself and dating.”
Those women saw Alice through some dark times. One of the most devastating aspects of her divorce was being ostracized from her long-time social circle of married couples. It was as if divorce was contagious, Alice says—or she was a threat. “The loneliness was extraordinary,” she says. “Those new friends saved my life and helped me start a new one.”
Danielle entered a Chester County Meetup group for divorced women in 2010, after she separated from her husband of 12 years. Through it, she has made friends who provide advice and moral support. “It’s also a great way to meet women who will join you for dinner or go to an event, even if you don’t have a date,” she says.