We’re told that first impressions are everything, from a date to a job interview to something as basic as creating your CatholicMatch profile. But Libby didn’t let the first impression she had of Tim be her last, and because she was willing to peel back the layer, this young couple has found happiness.
It was October 2011 when the two 22-year-olds from St. Paul connected online. They spent a couple weeks chatting, but Libby said candidly that her first impression was “not the best.” She also figured there was nothing to lose when he asked her out. And the second impression was a knockout.
Tim lives an active life, and with his good humor and innocent faith, he won Libby's heart.
“I had the perfect first date, dinner and a play,” she recalled. Libby left that date feeling that Tim was the one she had praying for.
With a maturity beyond her years, Libby had been committed to her faith at a young age and discerned her vocation early on. She believed it was to the married life, but a year before meeting Tim, she got a harsh reminder of the world we live in—her parents’ marriage of 22 years ended in divorce.
Libby persisted though, and while it would be mistake to think she was enthusiastic about online dating, she had the same “why not” approach that would eventually serve her well when Tim asked her out. “My friends wanted to see how it worked and wanted me to find someone,” she said. “I figured it’s safer than meeting someone in a bar and fit in with my busy lifestyle.”
Libby saw in Tim someone she could build a Christ-centered marriage with amidst a culture stacked against them.
