My husband and I opened up our relationship when we were 50 and in the process of doing this had our eyes opened to many of the ways that we had unconsciously bought into relationship and gender norms devised by other people out of a patriarchal paradigm. It's hard to notice the properties of the water you are swimming in, and having no tools for doing it differently if you do notice is certainly challenging. Fortunately, we figured it out. It sounds like you did too.

A really good piece!