My friendships with people in their 50s, 60s, 70s, and 80s got me through my divorce at 27

I met many of my older friends through an Italian-language club.

Zanny Merullo When I got divorced at 27, I leaned on my support system of friends in their 50s, 60s, 70s, and 80s.

Some of them had gone through divorces themselves, and reminded me I'd made the right choice.

Because of these friendships, I felt supported — and I hope that someday, I can pay it forward.

Last year, at 27, I went through a divorce.

The experience came with a lot of conflicting emotions and logistical issues to sort through — not to mention the additional task of getting reacquainted with myself after years in an unhappy relationship.

All this was happening while I was living hundreds of miles away from my family, who had always been my support system.

So I turned to my local community, including friends in their 50s, 60s, 70s, and 80s.

I'd started forming these friendships before my divorce.

While I was married, I joined a local Italian Club, where I'd exercise my fluency in the language alongside Italians, Italian-Americans, Italianophiles, and Italian-language learners , most of whom were in their 50s and beyond.

I also attended a weekly Zumba class , where many of the dancers were decades older than me.

Creating this community on my own when I was married was part of what helped me feel ready to take the leap into divorce — and, in the wake of my breakup, these friends helped me more than I could have ever imagined.

Some of my older friends had been through divorces of their own I found myself leaning on my older friends in the aftermath of my breakup.

Zanny Merullo I didn't tell everyone that I was going through a divorce, but I confided in a few people who stepped up to support me.