Beth M. & Jack C.
”We’ve both had our challenges, but we see the good in each other and in life, and we’re determined to enjoy it together.” ~ Beth
Beth, how was your dating life before you joined Together Dating?
I didn’t have a lot of time to date, and frankly, I needed a jumpstart. I had tried popular online dating sites without a lot of success. It basically came down to a lack of chemistry.
What inspired you to try The Right One?
Rather than place less emphasis on a gut reaction and chemistry this time around, going forward I had decided that the smartest choice for me would be a widower, because I believe that a widower might have a successful track record in marriage, and could be someone who would have enjoyed being married, as opposed to someone who’s been divorced and might come with unresolved negative emotional baggage. I myself have never been married. An important – but not essential - criterion for me was finding a Catholic or a Christian.
How did you like working with them?
To me, what initially stood out about The Right One was that they didn’t try to plug me in to a rigid computer program or profile. They were flexible, and they really were able to get a sense of who I am as a person. I felt that I had a better chance of fine-tuning my search by using TRO and while I didn’t limit myself to only widowers – I definitely prayed for a widower and I think TRO did a very good job. Before I met Jack, some of my previous introduction/contacts and I became friends, going out socially, playing tennis, hiking, etc.
Where was your first date? How did the date go?
Before meeting, we spoke on the phone for about an hour, and we could easily have talked all night. Our first date, we went out for dinner and spent the evening talking. We definitely shared a spark, but I still had my guard up.
What issues were concerning you?
Jack had a wonderful thirty-year marriage, and based on what he has shared about his first wife, I am sure we would have been great friends if we had known each other. I really liked Jack when I met him, but I knew he needed more time, and so did he. So basically, I "forced" him to date other women because we both needed to be sure our attraction was really to each other and not just to the notion of being married. You know, you can be in love with being in love, or you can be in love with someone, and it takes time to tell. Our strategy worked, as Jack dated a few other women, but in the end, he came back to me.
Can you describe your connection?
I believe God (and Jack’s first wife) each had a hand in our meeting. I believe that if people go into marriage truly understanding what marriage is about in all it’s dimensions, when we actually let God in to the equation, God does a much better job with us than we could ever hope to do alone, on our own. I can't say enough about Jack. We both regularly thank God for having found each other. Jack is a wonderful combination of common sense, intelligence, compassion and understanding. He also has a great sense of humor, which is another “must have” in any healthy relationship. We feel very fortunate. We've both had our challenges, but we see the good in each other and in life, we're determined to enjoy it together. We help each other laugh at life and ourselves because there are way too many difficulties in life to take any of them too seriously.
What are your future plans?
We’ve been together for 1 ¾ years, became engaged on Christmas eve 2007, and we’ve just set our wedding date for August 23, 2008!
Do you have any advice for others searching for love via The Right One’s services?
Maybe the stars have to be in alignment. Maybe you have to be in the right place at the right time. But can you be happy? Can you have fun? Absolutely, as long as you are open and you put yourself out there. Be very clear about what it is that you’re looking for. Be proactive, and be open to new experiences. You never know what might happen!