CONGRATULATIONS! I'm so glad you had a good time.

I'm sorry, I'm not in much of a position to offer you advice being new to "dating" again myself but wanted you to know that I'm so glad for you and so happy you took this step!!

This is great! I happy for you. Just be yourself and proceed slowly. That's all I have. :o)
When I was in OK. with Son, several guys talked to me. A lot. But I wouldn't go on a date with them. (meaning I wouldn't go watch football with them and some women that were with some of them. Or ride in their jeep haha) Now I am with someone and it feels right. My daughter all of 22 years cautioned me, "Mommy. Don't be in love with the idea of Love" LOL. that advice has stuck.
My relationship with BF snuck up on me. So I'm no good at giving advice on dating. And I hadn't dated in 35 yrs.
You'll be fine.

No dating advice here-only three months into this thing. Although I do have people ask me if I am or when am I going to date?? It's only been three months..my answer now is Never :)

Hope things continue to go well for you :)

As a newbie, your post is inspiring! I feel like Lori63, "never" is when I will be ready to date again. After 27 years with the same person, it is a foreign concept to me. Maybe in time I will feel differently.

No words of wisdom on dating from me. I don't think I will ever get that far. I'm so happy for you that you are moving into another stage of your new life. Have fun with this and remember it's just a date for now.

Wonderful news. Just try to stay calm and let it go where it goes. It is possible to love again, you just have to let yourself. Take it slow - but enjoy the ride...

Diane, I think what worked for me might be the ticket for you. Instead of even thinking of it as "dating" think of it as going out with a friend of the opposite sex. The only caveat is that you have to be prepared that his feelings toward you may be more intense than yours for him. Open honesty is the key here. If he is a good man, he will respect your boundaries and understand any trepidation that you share. He will RESPECT your feelings.

When Tom and I matched on eHarmony, we only emailed and talked on the phone for 6 whole weeks. We shared a lot of stuff this way, so that by the time we met in person we felt like we knew each other fairly well. Our first meeting was what I like to call "the old people's supper" as we met on a Wednesday evening at 5:00. LOL. Well, we sat in that restaurant FOR FIVE HOURS -- they were actually vacuuming the floor when we finally got up to go home.

He gave me a hug goodbye in the parking lot after walking me to my car and as I drove home, I thought "well there is a genuine person. A really nice man. I hope we will become really good friends." I had NO IDEA if he would ask to see me again. I didn't worry about it. I took it as, if nothing else, a learning experience and an opportunity to spend time with someone new.

NOT overthinking is a good guideline. You might also want to jot down your impressions in a notebook so, if you continue to see him, you can look back and see how those impressions might change as you get to know him better.

The other thing is not putting all your eggs in one basket. Keep your options open. Know that I'm hoping this is a good experience for you regardless of whether a romance blooms or not! xoxox

I have learned to to not look ahead--take each day and each date as it comes. Be sure you know yourself and what you want in a partner and don't sweep the questions and doubts under the rug if you see some red flags. Don't be so mesmerized by his words that you forget to watch his actions. And really listen carefully to what he says--you can learn a great deal about him by simply listening to him talk about his life. Sometimes the conversation gives you a real glimpse into his life and he may not be aware he is revealing that much.

Finally, enjoy the wonderful moment. I'm really glad you are getting back into the game.

All these things I've learned from Hurtin' and Healin''s Dating School of Hard Knocks~lol.

Glad you had a good evening. Enjoy.

I only have one word of advice. Don't settle. Kathi is right. You should be friends.

This is such great news...your moving forward and your heart is open. One of my biggest fears was...would my heart ever work again after being broken so badly. Just the fact that you are taking this step shows that you've done your homework and you are whole and emotionally healthy again. Your fears or concerns are healthy ones.

I believe that the people that come into our lives are for a purpose. There's something to be learned and shared. They may be in our lives for a week or they may be there for a lifetime. For me...I didnt let myself go to far down the road of fantasy...could it be this or could it be that...I tried to stay in the present. I tried to enjoy him for the time we spent together. I met my friend after I was divorced but just moving out of the house....I had to live with my ex for 21/2 months after the divorce...so I really dont have regular dating experience. I believe he was sent to me from the heavens. We are great together...he is like the male expression of me...its kind of weird actually. Our likes and dislikes are identical. We talked about what we wanted in a relationship and we made it very clear what our boundaries were. Anyway...he was in his marriage for 32 years...mine was 24...we both felt awkward. We laid it on the table right from the beginning. There was absolutely nothing we wouldnt talk about. We grew very close quite quickly...be has been my best friend for the last 21/2 yrs. We took things slow and it just grew into the direction it went in without all that much effort. It kind of just happened.

For me...my relationship is drawing to an end. As naturally as it began so is its closing. We both now recognize our relationship was mainly a healing one probably not meant for the long run. We will always be great friends but from a distance. We are still seeing each other but more as friends than potential life partners. We're both good with this. That why I say...relationships are for a reason...dont get caught up in... what ifs or maybe's... just enjoy today. If it's meant to be more than just friends allow the relationship to grow into what it is meant to be. Just enjoy...Big Hugs...Kathy

good luck take it slow, just enjoy the company see how it goes, its been 14 mts of being alone for now its just me and the dogs , ihave no idea how i would cope being on a date, silly but i would feel guilty, also comparing al the time , so i know for now its not for me one day maybe never say never .
enjoy it for what it is .x

Im so happy for you!!!!!

I have a dating question as well but i will put it another thread, lol!

I'm so happy to read this post! Relax, enjoy and just be Diane.