Mixed Marriages

Elaine & Daniel -
Missouri, United States

Married September 2012

Mixed Marriages - Promises and Secrets  | Swirlr - Elaine & Daniel Mixed Marriages - Promises and Secrets  | Swirlr - Elaine & Daniel Mixed Marriages - Promises and Secrets  | Swirlr - Elaine & Daniel Mixed Marriages - Promises and Secrets  | Swirlr - Elaine & Daniel Mixed Marriages - Promises and Secrets  | Swirlr - Elaine & Daniel Mixed Marriages - Promises and Secrets  | Swirlr - Elaine & Daniel Mixed Marriages - Promises and Secrets  | Swirlr - Elaine & Daniel

Promises and Secrets

One day not so long ago, Elaine made her first foray into the exciting but unfamiliar world of online dating. “I was very apprehensive about online dating,” Elaine admits. “It was a last resort for me. But I wanted to look internationally.”

And what drew Daniel online? “Companionship,” he tells us. “I thought I might find someone. I’m a hopeless romantic!”

Elaine was less sanguine about her chances. “I doubted 100% that I would find someone,” she says. Seven months after joining our site, she was starting to wonder if it would EVER work for her. “I was browsing with the search engine, looking to see who was out there that I might find interesting. I am a successful businesswoman, so I certainly wasn’t interested in ‘his’ money. Every now and then I would just look to see who had viewed me.”

Then one day, everything changed. She suddenly noticed one profile in particular. Daniel’s! “One day I was looking around and ran across a picture of ‘Burloak.’ I loved the twinkle in his eyes (yes, I could see past the glasses) and his smile held promise and secrets,” Elaine explains.

But Daniel, aka “Burloak,” hadn’t contacted her. She could wait to see if he noticed that she had viewed his profile. Or she could assert herself… Knowing she had nothing to lose, Elaine decided to fire off a message. “I introduced myself by inquiring as to what the name ‘Burloak’ meant,” she recalls. “He responded via IM with the answer. He told me he didn’t mind being friends, but he didn’t want to be in a long-distance relationship. I could not believe this man had rejected me!”

Despite his reticence to date someone outside his geographical area, Daniel was by no means unwilling to talk to Elaine. “I thought, and still think, that she is beautiful,” he says. “I soon found that it goes inside and out with this woman!”

Turns out the pair had plenty to talk about. “We became friends and communicated via IM, cellphone or Skype every night,” elaborates Elaine. “I have never had a long-distance relationship, so this was all new to me. But after getting to know Daniel as the wonderful man he is, I decided he was definitely a keeper. I sent him a message from my heart. I said for him to close his eyes. ‘Think about having a happy life filled with love and joy.’ I asked him ‘What will you do for love?’ or something to that effect.”

A series of Skype calls established an almost in-person vibe between them, but of course the sense of being in the same room was only a tantalizing illusion. “We kept looking longingly at each other when we Skyped,” giggles Elaine.

That problem had to be remedied, and right away. A date HAD to happen. As Elaine puts it, she “fell in love with his spirit, his determination, his integrity, his passion, the naughtiness in his eyes, and the hope in his smile. Realizing we had a special connection, we started talking about a serious relationship and agreed to meet.”

When the day came, Elaine was surprised by her own forwardness. “I saw him waiting for me at the baggage claim in the airport. I walked right up, gently kissed his lips, and took his hand in mine,” she says. “We looked into each other’s eyes and fell in love for life.”

Daniel remembers the moment very well. He laughs, “She walked right up and kissed me! I was a goner after that!”

Both singles came away from their initial encounter impressed. “He looks just like his picture,” Elaine was relieved to note. Daniel was quite taken with Elaine. “Have you looked at her?! She’s beautiful!” he exclaims. “We spent 10 days together holding hands, laughing, skipping rocks and getting to know each other body and soul.”

While their first romantic interlude was over all too soon, Elaine savored the bliss love brings. “He kisses soooo good,” she swoons. “I love him from the inside out.” After the visit, neither person had any doubts about what they were doing here. “I was 100% sure I would marry this woman,” Daniel says, and Elaine knew she would say yes when asked.

The big moment was not long in coming. Elaine recounts the story she’ll never forget. “I awake at approximately 3 a.m. to candles being lit all around the bedroom. I thought to myself. ‘OMG, this man is going to kill me!’ All kinds of dating horror stories rushed through my mind. When Daniel saw I was awake, he came to the end of the bed, took my hand in his and asked me if I would make him the happiest man alive by becoming his wife.”

It was an unorthodox proposal, but for Daniel and Elaine, it just felt right. So did the wedding ceremony itself. “We made a lifetime commitment to each other on September 7, 2012,” says Elaine. “I didn’t think the strong feelings I have for Daniel would ever be a part of my life. All I wanted to do was be successful and in charge of my life and my feelings. Daniel made me realize that life has no meaning without love.”

“She made me remember the feelings I’d given up hope of finding again,” Daniel confides. “My life is complete now that she’s in it.”

Willing to share the female perspective, Elaine has some suggestions for single guys. “My advice would be to read the profile, get to know the person and don’t talk about sex after only three conversations, unless SHE brings it up,” Elaine says. “If you find someone special, go for it, no matter what changes you have to make. You only live once, and everyone wants that forever love.”

“Always be a hopeless romantic,” Daniel advises. “It worked for me!”

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