I got married for the first time at 51, and what got me through those tough single years wasn't the belief that I'd meet someone special one day, but the belief that without a shadow of a doubt, I'd be just fine with or without someone special. As for consequences of not getting married when you're a "spring chicken," that's the kind of negativity that keep women like "Karen" despairing. Everyone has their own timeline, and we need to honor and respect that.