Check out iMOM’s guide to online dating: Why Online Dating May Be the Single Mom’s Best Friend, then read this account of one woman’s online dating success story.
At 32, Jennifer Smith had a great life in the eyes of many. She was an executive editor with a high-profile national magazine and traveled extensively covering beautiful locales for the publication. Her great income had even allowed her to buy a home she loved in her native Alabama. But something was still missing.
“I still wanted to spend my life with someone,” she says. “My career field was populated with lots of women, and the singles group at church just didn’t ever seem to result in a connection that went further than group outings and friendships. So I decided to try something different.”
For Jennifer, “different” was signing up with the then-new matchmaking website, eHarmony.com. She admits having to overcome her own biases to take that first step and complete the profile survey and that friends and family didn’t know quite what to make of it, either. But as she answered the 200+ questions detailing her own values, background, and preferences in a mate, she was hopeful that a process so thorough would produce at least a handful of promising connections.
Waiting…For three months, none of the potential matches the service provided piqued her interest. She even let her membership lapse for a time, until a marketing email from eHarmony lured her back in. Shortly after, she received information about a “match” in Texas named Jeff.
After communicating with Jeff for just a few weeks, Jennifer mentioned to him that she’d be out of town for a few days for a Christmas trip to New York City. As fate would have it, Jeff was traveling to New York, as well, and their trips would overlap by one night. They decided that it would be silly to let such a providential opportunity go by, and made plans to get together near the Metropolitan Museum of Art for a quick face-to-face meeting. Both were traveling with their mothers, so those important ladies had a chance to become acquainted, as well!
After the meeting in person, Jeff began to pursue a serious relationship with Jennifer, traveling frequently to Alabama to take her on dates. Before long, they realized that their common values and life goals—along with lots of other interests—coincided beautifully and they decided to marry.
The skeptics…“Some people around me were still a little skeptical,” Jennifer remembers. “After all, I was walking away from a fantastic position in my company to move to Texas and start over with a new publication. Some friends worried that I couldn’t possibly know enough about Jeff to make such a commitment. But we were confident that it was the right thing.” She decided to choose the next big step in her personal life over maintaining her professional comfort zone.
Long story short? Eight years of marriage and three beautiful little boys later, the Smiths are glad they took a chance on online dating, as they probably wouldn’t have met any other way.
Jennifer says the online approach with a thorough values and interests profile just makes a lot of sense when you think about it. It’s especially helpful for busy professionals or single parents who may not have unlimited time to go out for social mixing and mingling.
“It’s an even easier choice for single adults today, because it’s more common now than it was nine years ago when I gave it a try. I would recommend it without reservation to those who know what matters to them, what kind of mate they’re looking for, and just need a way to make that connection.”
Dana Hall McCain writes about marriage, parenting, faith and wellness. She is a mom of two, and has been married to a wonderful guy for over 18 years.
