A polyamorous widow opened up about marrying a husband 20 years her junior and sharing a girlfriend with him.
Florida native Lizz Cannon, 49, met her now-husband, Gabriel Castaneda, 29, four months after her husband of 20 years, Josh, also 49, died of liver disease.
As the retired dancer and immigration attorney worked through her grief, in April 2022, she met Gabriel at a roller skating class and described it as “love at first sight.”
A year later, Lizz and Gabriel, who is a software developer, met his now girlfriend, Fátima, 43, and the couple is still going strong.
A polyamorous widow married a husband 20 years younger than her and they share a girlfriend
Florida native Lizz Cannon, 49, met her now-husband, Gabriel Castaneda, 29, four months after her husband of 20 years, Josh Cannon, 49, died of liver disease.
Met through a mutual friend in 2000, Lizz and Josh, a chef, married the following year.
The couple was polyamorous throughout their marriage and Lizz had two partners, one from Florida and one from a different state.
In September 2012, Josh was diagnosed with liver disease and sadly passed away on December 19, 2021, leaving Elisabeth heartbroken.
“Before Josh passed away, he told me that he wanted me to live my life to the fullest,” the widow shared.
To overcome her grief, in April 2022 she enrolled in a local roller skating class and met her now husband, Gabriel.
“Losing (Josh) is like nothing I’ve ever been through, and that’s why meeting Gabriel was so unexpected,” she said.
‘We exchanged phone numbers, went to dinner that same week and knew we had a special connection.
‘I will never stop mourning Josh, but it has gotten easier. I know he would have loved Gabriel and we would have been very happy.
Met through a mutual friend in 2000, Lizz and Josh, a chef (pictured) married the following year.
The couple was polyamorous throughout their marriage and Lizz had two partners, one from Florida and one from a different state.
In September 2012, Josh was diagnosed with liver disease and sadly passed away on December 19, 2021, leaving Elisabeth heartbroken.
‘It was love at first sight. I know Gabriel is my angel sent from above by Josh.
Gabriel has been in a relationship and Lizz has been dating polyamorously.
“When I talked to him about being polyamorous, he was very open and interested,” she said.
“Soon after, we explored it together and were pleasantly surprised to find ourselves in our match.”
In February 2023, the couple met Fatima, who lives in a different state, through a dating app, HER, and “hit it off instantly.”
“She instantly enriched our relationship and it was like we had known each other for years,” Elisabeth said.
‘Some people may not embrace polyamory, but for Gabriel and I, it aligns with our values and how we want to live our lives.
‘We make sure to check with each other about everything, not to ask permission, but out of respect and keeping in mind safe sex practices are non-negotiable.
Going through her grief, in April 2022, she enrolled in a local roller skating class and met her now husband, Gabriel.
She shared, “Losing (Josh) is like nothing I’ve ever been through, and that’s why meeting Gabriel was so unexpected.”
“If you have love and trust at the center of a relationship, polyamory will work.”
The three of them regularly go out to dinner, dance, and visit museums.
In May 2023, Lizz and Gabriel got married in their garden in Florida and had an outdoor celebration with 45 guests.
The couple practices a “healthy and vibrant” polygamous lifestyle and Lizz’s family and the couple’s friends are incredibly supportive.
The marriage remains happy and he sees his common girlfriend every five weeks for a long weekend.
The group goes on dates all together, but other times Fátima also goes out with Lizz and Gabriel individually.
“I love my husband, but he is not a woman and we communicate differently,” she said.
‘Gabriel and I each have our own relationship with Fátima.
She said: “I will never stop mourning Josh but it has gotten easier.” I know he would have loved Gabriel and we would have been very happy.
She admitted: “It was love at first sight. I know Gabriel is my angel sent from above by Josh.
‘For me, marriage is not about being sexually exclusive, but about building a life together, which is exactly what we are doing.
‘Things have to be healthy and vibrant and that’s why we share a girlfriend.
“But we’re open to dating other people, outside of our relationship.”
She continued: ‘Neighbors called me to tell me they had seen Gabriel on a date with another woman, and they are even more surprised when they realize I know.
‘We stay informed about everything and there is nothing we can’t talk about.
‘If others think polyamory is strange, then they should start talking to more people.
“They will discover that there are people who practice open relationships more than they think.”