‘Why you should date my ex wife’: Couple who split after 21 years of marriage try to help each other find love again by posting ADS on Facebook
- A couple who split after 21 years of marriage are helping each other find love
- New Zealanders Damien and Whakarongotai Nikora shared glowing ads online
- They received widespread praise for their posts ‘Why you should date my ex’
- The friendly exes feel no animosity and say life is too short to be angry or bitter
A couple who split after 21 years of marriage have launched an extraordinary campaign to help each other find love again.
Whakarongotai, 40, and Damien Nikora, 42, who first met in Hamilton, New Zealand as young Mormons, posted on Facebook announcing their separation – and asking for potential dates for each other.
The couple, who have two adult children and say they are still best friends, titled their posts: ‘Why you should date my ex’.
Whakarongotai and Damien Nikora have both posted on Facebook seeking a potential date for their former spouse
In his post, Damien, who is a professional photographer, says he has a lot of love and respect for his ex-wife, who he calls ‘beautiful, kind and honest’. The full ad can be viewed here
Whakarongotai, a naturopath, describes her ex-husband as a ‘magic maker’ with a great sense of humour. Her view ad can be viewed here
In his post, Damien, who is a professional photographer, says he has a lot of love and respect for his ‘beautiful, kind and honest’ ex-wife.
‘If you get the chance to date her, (you’re a) Lucky Man,’ he says.
‘In the time we have been apart she has blossomed into an amazing open-minded, thoughtful woman with a broader perspective on what the power of positivity self-belief and courage has to offer her and those around her.’
He says his wife is in ‘self discovery mode’, which is a ‘special time’ for any man to step in and encourage her.
Whakarongotai, a naturopath, describes her ex-husband as a ‘magic maker’ with a great sense of humour.
Whakarongotai (pictured), a naturopath, describes her ex-husband as a ‘magic maker’ with a great sense of humour
Damien and Whakarongotai (pictured at their wedding in 1998) first met as young Mormons in Hamilton on New Zealand’s north island, and soon welcomed two children
‘He’s the most loyal and honest person I know.
‘I was his first everything, the first hand he held, his first girlfriend, his first kiss, I am the only woman he’s BEEN WITH and I know on that front he will not disappoint.’
She went on to say she knows he will get ‘snapped up in a heartbeat’.
‘I love that my experience of being his wife has left me a better person….with very high standards for the next person I choose to hold my heart.’
The pair say they were ‘young, naive Mormons’ when they got married’ and say they have no animosity towards each other, believing life is too short to be bitter or angry.
The couple have been called ‘mature’ and ‘brave’ for taking the unusual step in moving on.
He says his wife is in ‘self discovery mode’, which is a ‘special time’ for any man to step in and encourage her
She went on to say she knows he will get ‘snapped up in a heartbeat’. ‘I love that my experience of being his wife has left me a better person….with very high standards for the next person I choose to hold my heart’
‘I think that’s the most unusual post I have ever seen. Still, it’s wonderful you loved her so much and are telling us all in such a poetic way,’ one person replied to Damien’s post.
Another noted how rare it is to find true friendship with an ex and called the pair ‘an inspiration for other former couples’.
‘If only more people were like you two. You both have beautiful souls,’ a woman wrote.