Michelle had not dated at all in high school. Immediately after graduating, therefore, she decided to set up with CatholicMatch to see whether that might increase her odds of meeting someone interesting.
Michelle stayed on CatholicMatch for 8 years before she met Joshua.
Eight years later, someone interesting came along. Joshua, by contrast, had only been on the site three months when he found Michelle. Though not really looking for a long distance relationship (he lived in Texas, she in California), he found himself attracted by her for her involvement in her diocese, as well as her lovely smile.
Since Joshua—who is now 29—was a novice dater and Michelle—now 30—a seasoned veteran of the online dating game, and because they lived so far apart, they took it slow at first. Joshua was a little hesitant to open up to someone he had only met online, and both had been hurt before.
But, after many hard conversations, a few tears, and a lot of prayer, their relationship began moving forward. Eleven months after first meeting online, they finally were able to arrange a meeting in real life.
Their first dates included both casual conversations and "interrogations" from friends.
Their first date involved Joshua heading out to California in March 2015.
“I recall being so excited to show Joshua the beauty of the mountains,” Michelle said, remembering the day. “I had planned a nice, quiet breakfast beside Lake Arrowhead. Belgian Waffle Works served us up an amazing breakfast and we sat, ate, talked, and laughed.”
Certainly there are worse first dates than mountains and waffles, or even mountains of waffles (waffles of mountains would be a little more uncertain, though at least original). It gave them a chance to enjoy both each other’s company and the beauty of creation.
Making long distance work
Other surprises included a trip to Disneyland and (somewhat less welcome) an “interrogation” lunch by her church family. The two were amazed by how easy it was to talk and how well they connected.
This, as it turned out, was going to be a feature of their relationship; more times than they could count, one would suggest a restaurant to try, or a new book to add to their collection, only for the other to declare that they had had the same idea and comment, “that’s why we’re together.”
Even though dating long distance proved to be difficult, it was worth it in the end.
Of course, though they found it very easy to connect, staying in touch over several hundred miles was less easy.
“It was difficult,” Joshua recalled. “Because we had to wait months to see each other, go to Mass together, and go on dates.” As in the early days of their relationship, there were many hard conversations and many prayers.
But in the end, it was all worth it. Two and a half years after they first met online, Michelle and Joshua were married on October 22nd, 2016, the feast of St. John Paul the Great, for whom both of them had a special devotion. The two now live in wedded bliss in Texas, where they welcomed their first child, Gaudia Luce, in May 2018.
A little less than two years after their wedding day, they welcomed a baby girl: Gaudia.
They explained where they got little Gaudia's name:
"Gaudia is named after Sister Gaudia Skass. Michelle and I were watching a Divine Mercy program on EWTN, one evening, and Sister Gaudia was part of that program. Michelle really liked her name.
It just so happens that a friend of ours, who worked for the USCCB, met Sister Gaudia and told her our story. Sister Gaudia playfully asked to be our daughter's Spiritual Godmother. We would like to think that she is."
Gaudia is also named after Blessed Chiara "Luce" Badano. Michelle is a religion teacher and she learned about Blessed Chiara while researching young saints to present to her class. Michelle feels that Blessed Chiara is a wonderful model of how to endure life's trials with joy.
Though neither had any doubt of it, their marriage necessarily involved further challenges with both having to make adjustments to their respective career paths to suit their transition to marriage from long-distance.
Nevertheless, what surprises them most is just how well they continue to connect and how similar they really are.
“I can say that I am utterly amazed at how well Michelle and I compliment one another,” Joshua said. “She is truly my best friend and I thank God for CatholicMatch!”
Baby Gaudia
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