The story of my JDate experience is pretty typical when it comes to the trials and tribulations of a fifty-something female after a failed marriage. As a single mother with two grown sons who questioned what was I going to do with the rest of my life, bar hopping and the singles scene wasn’t in my cards. I was more comfy in my PJs, holding a glass of wine after working all day at an art gallery. Reluctantly, I started my journey with JDate with what I thought at the time a great attitude.
Having common backgrounds can only help people to connect. Sharing holidays, values, and a love of food is what I thought would bring me many nice Jewish men to connect with on JDate! I chatted, emailed and talked on the phone with new men I met on the site for hours at a time. I spent hours, ad nauseam, to read each email sent to me and truly looked for the best in every opportunity.
Every time I had a date, I made a mental note of how each date reminded me of a dessert I had experienced. I soon came up with a system to compare them to my passion for baking. There were the dates that reminded me of fruitcakes, crumb cakes, sponge cake dates and even cupcakes too! After five years of what seemed like boundless meetings at Starbucks® and dinners out, I’d come home and start baking out of frustration! It was my wacky way to remember each date gone by!
It may sound bleak, but if you are an upbeat soul and have faith, love can happen for you. I believe in the Hebrew word Beshert, which allowed me to be patient. I possessed a belief that timing is everything and everything is timing! Love materializes when you are ready to receive a man worthy of you. I was very lucky to have met some great friends on JDate. And some wonderful men and women now share my happiness as well — they found love and married, and we still remain cordial to each other.
On May 3, 2008, our story began. It started while I was on JDate at work, my blinking online light aglow. Dennis started to chat with me immediately; the computer had just barely opened my page. Little did I know it was the last day of his JDate subscription and I was no longer a member. It was an intervention from above! We did the usual chit-chat and then planned to speak that evening. By the end of a three-hour conversation, we felt a connection. However, Dennis was living in Tampa, Florida. I lived across the state, more than 4 hours away and had my doubts. However, on May 5, 2008, I knew my prayers were heard! It was love at first sight!
In the days following our first date, Dennis met my mom and she gave her stamp of approval over lunch. That same evening was a dinner with my best friends who gave me a positive sign. By Tuesday, Dennis had met my two extremely picky sons and left them feeling that their mom was with a very nice man. Within a few weeks, Dennis moved to Florida’s east coast to be with me. Dennis and I were head over heels, and still are two years later! I asked for a higher love and my prayers were answered.
Our lives have changed on many levels. Our everyday living is now shared with love and compassion for one another. We cherish what is really important to a relationship. He has given me an opportunity to finally express a part of my personality that had no outlet. I have given him the chance to be the man he wanted to be, both in his professional life as a physician and professor. Our family has blended with the additions of sister-in-laws and brother-in-laws, and especially our children’s support and love.
My passion for dessert led me to bake a dessert that represented each date in a unique way. It was the love and encouragement from Dennis to put the words and thoughts down on paper to make each date come alive. Little did I know Dennis would become my wedding cake recipe. He gave me the guts to write a whimsical dating guide that is now available on Amazon. I know now that being successful is really about how one feels when you accomplish any task you never dreamed you could finish and I was able to write the book He Takes The Cake.
It is true that Dennis is the man who takes the cake in my life!
Vicki and Dennis
Boca Raton, Florida
Editorial Team is a contributor to JDATE. See more of Editorial Team's articles here.
