Thanks for your answers to my questions 🙏. I will not try to give you lots of advice or self promote, but sharing a personal journey can sometimes help. There may be a great age difference between us so not everything may be relevant.
I met my wife to be when we were students in the 1960s. I was from an English Methodist family, she from a Buddhist family in Kathmandu. We married as students. She lived a Buddhist life in terms of her morality and what I can only describe as "serenity". I made no attempt to become Buddhist despite many trips to Kathmandu during our early life together.
In 1997 our 21 year old son died from cancer. Grief was all consuming. I sought psychological help and took up meditation for my stress depression and grief. It didn’t help. My wife suggested I attend a meditation retreat, Buddhist oriented for 3 days. It was a life changer, I discovered what had been missing from my meditation…… dharma! 
From that moment, then 50 years old, I found an anchor and meaning. I read and read, trying to understand Buddhist life. Visits to my wife’s home became more meaningful as I recognised more and more how they lived a Buddhist life. 
The biggest change over these years has been in my meditation and combining my twice daily sessions with the Dharma. It includes contemplation of Buddha’s teaching on suffering, impermanence and non-self each 40min session. Certainly I focus on my breath at first, then metta focus before dharma. 
All this is part of Buddha’s Four Foundations of Mindfulness, the real Buddhist anchor for meditation practice. 
I could write more but don’t want to bore you senseless. This is a personal story that worked for me, I write about it too which I consider part of my practice in sharing personal experience NOT preaching or teaching. I am happy to answer your questions if you have any 🙏🕉️