It All Started as a Bet
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“My mom called me out for being so Catholic but not using CatholicMatch."
"She said, ‘I’ll give you $100 bucks to do it,’". At first, though, he passed right by Dalinah’s profile.
“I didn’t want to date out of state, or date someone with a child,” he explains. But something made him go back and take a second look, and surprisingly, her stance on motherhood was one of those things. Donald actually loved her candid statement that since she had a son, any interested party had better be ready for some serious dad responsibilities.
“I loved that her profile had a very real, sincere marching order of, I have a home near a school and church, and unless you can better my situation, move on,” Donald recalls. God blessed Donald to be in a situation to do exactly that, so, he contacted Dalinah. She quickly replied that she was interested, but was concerned about the fact that he lived in Michigan and she preferred to stay in Ohio unless God’s will directed her otherwise. Donald was more intrigued than ever.
“I’m a big believer in if it’s God’s plan it will be challenging but will work out in the end,”So, he decided to trust God and drive down to meet her. For their first date, Donald decided to book a hotel in Dalinah’s town on Saturday so they could get together Sunday morning for Mass and brunch. Unfortunately, Donald ended up driving through a blizzard, got to the hotel very late, and then his car died in the parking lot the next morning. Dalinah, meanwhile, had spent Saturday driving in the car for eight hours in order to drop her three-year-old son off at her parents' house in Cincinnati so they could babysit while she went on her date.
“Our entire day was tow trucks, dealership, auto mechanics, and waiting for the results of what killed my truck,”
Donald remembers. What with the weather, all the driving, and the unromantic setting, one would think these two would be ready to give up. Even Dalinah’s mother commented that it seemed like someone was trying to keep them apart! But, when the two met at the hotel lobby, the day took a turn for the better.
“She was all smiles and had a silly hat on. As a silly hat connoisseur (myself), it got me relieved and excited. We bonded in the lobby waiting for my tow, we bonded in the auto shop waiting for the diagnosis,” Donald laughs. After paying a lot of money to get the truck running, the couple decided he had better head home in case something went wrong with it again. But, not before they scheduled another date a few weeks later, in Cincinnati this time so Dalinah could leave her son at her parents' house again.
Since Dalinah is Puerto Rican, and Donald is half Puerto Rican, he expected the full inquisition from her parents when he arrived to pick her up.
He was pleasantly surprised at the small talk instead. This time the truck successfully escorted them to dinner at a tapas restaurant and then a jazz bar for some dancing. The first date had been good for bonding and seeing how each of them reacted to a bad situation, but the second date was pure fun and really started them towards a solid relationship.
Though Donald is an extrovert and Dalinah is an introvert, they also found traits they had in common. “We both are very absent-minded at times, forgetting little things, or getting so focused on a trip, project, or task and forget to take care of ourselves,” Donald comments. This started from the very first date. The couple had agreed prior to the date that there would be no discussing or seeing Dalinah’s home or her son. But, since the dealership ended up being just a few miles from her house, they ended up there for lunch, and talked about her son and family while they watched television. “Then we both laughed at breaking our pre-set rule,” Donald recalls. That doesn’t mean everything was easy though.
“I had frustration with basically throwing my list out the window--an out-of-stater, with a child, who isn’t very knowledgeable in the faith,” Donald states. Other obstacles included the distance between them and Dalinah’s past relationship that ended with the birth of her son. But, “after my discernment prayer ended and I got no negative signs, I said well, if this is my vocation bring it on.” This prayer ended around Christmas weekend and Donald proposed on January 1st, 2020.
He proposed in the very same truck that had broken down on their first date!
Dalinah expected something was up, as at the last visit to her parents he had disappeared with them for a while (to ask permission), and he had started asking about jewelry and ring sizes.
The couple plans to marry on October 20, 2020, for a variety of reasons.
It happens to be a long weekend for Dalinah, who is a federal employee, but it’s also the month of Mary. Even more interesting, it’s the feast day of Saint Francis Borgia, a Jesuit.
“I find it funny a Jesuit is our feast day saint because of their focus on structure, which we both lack. Well played, God, well played!”