“I almost deleted Ms. Right!”
By Paul S., Goose Creek, South Carolina
Sharolyn and Paul
As a single full-time father of two, I didn't have time to go out and meet new people. And you get tired of the bar scene anyway. My best friend suggested Yahoo! Personals. I signed up just to see if I would get any replies.
When I started out, I was open to meeting all kinds of women, and my profile reflected that. But I found it difficult to connect with women who weren't parents themselves. They just didn't understand what I was going through.
Changed my profile
After a few months, I decided to be more specific. I updated my profile to say I wanted to meet only women who also had children. The responses slowed down, but those who did reply could relate to my situation.
Each week I received updates of potential matches and only emailed a few people. To be honest, I was so busy that after a while I began deleting most of the updates. One day I received my update and marked it for deletion. For some reason I had to rush out of the house and never deleted the update. When I returned home and checked my email, I decided to look at the profiles on the update. As I read one, I was shocked. It was worded almost identically to mine. She was a single mother of two and wanted someone who understands children.
Fell in love with her personality
Sharolyn and I emailed each other for about two weeks and then exchanged numbers. That first night we talked from 9 until 3:30 in the morning. Every night for the next few weeks, we spoke on the phone for at least three hours. I fell in love with her personality before I ever met her in person. We finally set plans for our first date....WOW!!!! It was love at first sight for both of us. That night was the best night of my life. I had found the woman of my dreams.
Sharolyn and I were married on June 27. Now we live with our new family - her
two kids and my two kids. I remember telling my mother, 'I want to find someone
who makes me forget about the everyday hustle and bustle, who makes me smile
from ear to ear.'" I found her. Sharolyn inspires me. Ever since our first date,
I have been writing poems to her about whatever is in my heart at the time.
Tips from Paul
- Profile Creation: Use the "About Me" section in your profile to tell people who you really are. Write from the heart and show some feeling. Get specific about your likes and dislikes. You'll attract more successful matches.
- Dating for Single Parents: Let your relationship grow before introducing your children. When you do reach that point, kids are your best barometer if it's "right." They will see the person for who they really are. My daughter was always jealous of the women I dated, but she warmed up to Sharolyn right away.
- Read Your Matches By Mail: Check every email update. You just never know who you might find. Take it from me -- I almost deleted Ms. Right!
- Take Your Time: When you get many email responses quickly, it's tempting to fall in love fast. Don't jump into an exclusive relationship. Explore all your options - that's what this is about, meeting new people.
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