Whether you have been out of the dating scene due to a long term relationship or rejoining it after being widowed, it may seem like an intimidating situation. Should you take a break and stay single for a while? Have you forgotten everything you once knew about dating? Where do you meet people? What is with online dating? Is it worth trying? Can you even find good Catholic singles these days?

Being Ready

The first thing to assess is whether you are ready to begin dating again. If you have just gotten out of a long term relationship or been widowed, you'll want to take some time to be single and take an assessment of your last relationship. Remember who you are and what makes you a great catch!

The New Dating Scene Isn't So New

Human attraction and dating is still the same, don't worry. In fact, with the advent of online dating, it's even easier to find that special someone. You can still do things the old-fashioned way, meeting friends of friends or the son of that lady in the church choir. But now there are cool new ways to meet people that you might never meet in your normal social circle.

Meeting People

One of the easiest ways to ease into the dating scene is to find a meetup group. If you go to meetup.com you can find groups in your area of people who are interested in similar hobbies and interests as you. Want to meet people who speak German? Find folks who visit all the local wine tasting events? Meet people who are also widows and widowers? There are groups for every type of interest and since they're mainly for meeting friends, they're very low key. If you end up meeting that someone special, awesome! If you don't, at least you'll make some new friends.

Online Dating

Online dating is a great way to meet people. It may seem scary if you've never tried it before, but trust me when I say that the horror stories are the minority. Most people who do online dating end up meeting someone to date or at the very least making some friends. All you need to do is make a profile (link to profile article here) and start your search for a great partner! What makes online dating great is it opens your social circle to people you might not ordinarily meet out and about town.

Catholic Singles

There are some great online dating sites where you can meet Catholic singles. The best one is ChristianCafe (link to affiliate program). They have been in the business for a decade and are the best place to meet Christian singles. There is also the site Catholics Mingle, which is run by the Spark Network of dating sites. While these sites cost money for subscription fees, you can be guaranteed that all the members are Catholic or Christian. If you are serious about meeting someone who share your faith, these are the best places to be online.

The key to starting dating again is just that start! Dip a toe in the pool and explore a bit. You will get used to it in no time.