Thank You, Cherry Blossoms!

 

I have used online dating sites before in the past and was so discouraged with the processes of other dating websites until one day my mother suggested I try finding a Filipina woman.  My mother had traveled to the Philippines as a missionary and had fallen in love with the people she had met and said the woman there were beautiful and were wonderful companions with a strong family center and very caring.  I had never dated an Asian woman before and was a little skeptical, however I signed up to Cherry Blossom hoping I would find the woman of my hopes and dreams.

 On April 16, 2012 that dream came true, I was browsing through the profiles of ladies on the site when I received a chat request from the most beautiful woman ever, and her name was Grace.  She had read my profile and liked what I had said about myself and after reading her profile I found we had so much in common.  I had been talking to a couple of other women on the website before meeting Grace but none of them touched my heart, Grace touched not only my heart but also my soul.  It was if God in heaven had tapped me on the shoulder and said, “this is the one I have chosen for you.”  I immediately stopped corresponding with the others and focused all my attention on Grace, and she has been and still is the best thing that has ever happened to me in my life and thanks to Cherry Blossom for being the medium in which we were to meet.
The more we chatted the more we fell in love, there were trust barriers to overcome because both of us had had bad relationship experiences in our past.  The one thing we knew for sure was that God was binding us together little by little and the more time we spent with each other the more we wanted.  All of our free time we devoted to each other, writing emails, and endless hours on Skype…we were soul mates.  There was a 20 year age gap between us but that did not matter, it was as if we were cut from the same cloth, it was time for the next move, it was time to meet in person.  Grace was a teacher working in Thailand and I a Respiratory Therapist living in Florida so it was no easy thing to fly half way around the world to go on a date but there was a very important question I had to ask my kindred spirit, my best friend and soul mate.
 
I flew into Bangkok on July 19th, 2012 I was nervous and excited to meet Grace for the first time.  I wondered if the, “sparks would fly,” I wondered if she would even be waiting there at the airport.  It took me about 30 minutes looking through the unfamiliar airport but on the second time walking through the airport I spotted the most beautiful woman I have ever seen in real life standing before me.  I did not even think, my anticipation and excitement and sheer joy of seeing her standing there smiling was overwhelming, I just walked up to her and picked her up in my arms and held her and kissed her!  It was perfect, the chemistry was there….it had always been there, only now in real life was it realized and appreciated.  We felt so wonderful being together, we were 2 puzzle pieces in a beautiful picture that fit and made the scene complete, it was the happiest time in my life, a moment we will never forget.
I proposed to Grace on the 63rd floor of the Dome at Lebua in Bangkok, one of the most romantic restaurants in the city.  Grace said YES!  We spent 8 more days together in Thailand and our bond grew ever stronger.  We began with the tedious process of getting her a fiance visa in October of 2012, the process is long and complicated but so worth it.  The next time we met I flew to the Philippines to be with her again and to meet her family, this was an incredible trip because I was able to meet many members of her family and bond with them.
 
The process is now almost complete, Grace will have her visa interview June 24th 2013, all of the pain and struggle being apart for so long is almost over and our new life together as husband and wife will begin.  Our commitment to each other is stronger than it has ever been and our love and respect for each other grows more and more each day.  Thank you so much Cherry Blossom for being the forum in which two people, half a world away could find each other, fall in love and spend the rest of our lives looking forward to our future together.  Cherry Blossom has our deepest, heartfelt gratitude for being there when we needed it.
Forever Greatful,
William and Grace B.

The Importance of Being YOU!

“Today you are You, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is Youer than You.”

It’s a strange set-up and happens to many people. In the effort to meet new people, you sort of start to become a new person yourself. It starts in the little things, like how you part your hair or what music you’ve been listening to lately.

Don’t get too carried away with a ‘new you’… stay true to yourself while seeking your true love.

Know yourself well!
Explore your ‘You-ness’ with these three vital questions:

1. What are your limits, or ‘deal-breakers’?

 2. What are you looking for?

 3. What are you offering?

1. There’s a ton of talk about ‘deal-breakers’. What are they? And how do they work?

A ‘deal-breaker’ is something that is so important to you, that it can end a relationship. They are different for everyone.

There are a few very obvious deal-breakers for couples and then there are the more minor ones:

• Major deal-breakers: abuse, cheating, deception

• Minor deal-breakers: drug use, alcoholism, money spending habits, whether or not you want or even like kids, opinion on pets.

What are some of your deal-breakers? It’s important to set some limits and have some ground rules when starting new relationships.

2. Know what you’re looking for in a relationship and be aware of what you won’t tolerate.

Be realistic in your expectations of others and honest with yourself when thinking about your goals. It’s important to be clear. Be mindful of a possible language barrier when dating Asian women online; misunderstandings are the seeds of disagreements.

Are you looking for friendship, a pen pal, or something more? Do you want to find a husband or wife?

3. It’s important to know what you want in a relationship and what you are bringing to the table.

What do you have to offer another? And, I’m not talking about houses or cars! I’m talking about your personality.

• What sort of person are you? Are you pretty chill? A great listener? Or are you a thrillseeker? Love to hike? An avid reader? Maybe a TV addict?

• Describe your type of personality. If you have trouble thinking of something, ask a relative or friend how they would describe you.

• Imagine having someone beside you, sharing in your pastime. To be in harmony, it’s best if you enjoy similar hobbies. It may not sound glamorous to say that you enjoy watching TV, but you’d be surprised at how many conversational pathways could open up when you have a TV show that you are both into!

Someone is looking for You, just as you are. Who knows, Your Blossom could be online right now!

Just be yourself. You do it better than anyone! ;)

Cherry Blossoms Deals- Happy Memorial Day

Hey Cherry Blossoms Friends,

Just wanted to let you know, we’ve got a special deal for you.

This weekend ONLY, save $10 on your new one month or three month Cherry Blossoms membership.

Enter: MEMORIAL13 during Checkout to SAVE!

For all of those people who’ve been wanting to sign up and give it a try, now’s your chance! Find out what you’ve been missing and find love over the long weekend.

 

Aloha,

CB Bloggers!

Don’t Let Rejection Get You Down!

“Your value doesn’t decrease based on someone’s inability to see your worth.” -Anonymous

 

I know it’s maybe seen as overly cheesy to take something found on Facebook too serious, but this simple quote really got to me. It’s an idea that many don’t learn until way later in life and then, even when you know you’re being silly, it’s hard to keep it in mind when facing rejection.
Rejections are definitely one of those things that everyone’s experienced but never really wants to admit to, much less talk about. Like accidentally falling down some stairs, you’ll always stand up right away and hope no one saw that!

It can be hard and sometimes discouraging when you don’t get a reply from someone that you are dating online. Without any notice, people sometimes don’t answer you after having had several great chats with them before.

The radio silence could be for many different reasons. Miscommunication is a common problem in all relationships, especially when it comes to online dating, and even more so, when between different cultural backgrounds. When dating Asian women online, a simple misunderstanding like, for example different time-zones or language barriers, could be the cause of delayed replies.
Don’t always assume the worst!

  • They could’ve lost connection to the internet.
  • The computer itself may be malfunctioning.
  • A family or work issue may have come up.

OR,

and this does happen, they may not be interested in talking anymore
and simply don’t want to hurt your feelings by saying as much.

Respect their wishes, if provided with the reason for the no-replies or not, it is their decision and doesn’t mean anything about you personally unless you decide to take it that way yourself.We have to permit others to offend us. What others think of you only has power if you give it to them. Whether or not another can see your worth, does not affect how valuable you really are.
It’s just like selling antiques. Some people just don’t know enough to see how valuable and rare
you truly are!

Keep looking for your True Love! The One with an eye for a high quality individual like yourself won’t settle for papier-mâché relationships either. They’ll keep looking as well. Meanwhile, never allow others that you encounter in your search to ever tarnish your heart’s brilliance—it’s a beacon!

The Lessons of Love

Just as there is a learning curve with math or science, there can also be a learning curve with falling in love.  Some couples are destined for eternity while others are more temporary.  Either way, the lessons of love can be learned, relearned and taken with us as we move through our life and our love life.

Whether you were married for years, never married or married several times, the learning curve of love can be steep and it can be painful.  But it can also be rewarding, exciting and life changing.  

Maybe it didn’t work out, but now you know what you do and don’t want from a partner.

Ask any recently divorced or separated single what they want in their next relationship and they can usually tell you.  They have learned powerfully what they do not want from their previous love experiences. Ask a widower what they want in a relationship and they can also tell you.  They know the pieces and parts of their lost lover that they dearly miss and hope to find again.

Lastly, men and women that have been or consider themselves single for some time can also tell you what did not work for them in their previous relationships.

Armed with all these love lessons, we can begin to really focus on what we do want. What we find irresistible, adorable, necessary and even required. First and foremost, ask the bigger questions:

  •  Are religious or political affiliations important to you?
  • How about financial or educational beliefs or preferences?
  •  Are you wanting to start a family or looking to retire and travel around the country?

Where you are on your life path is also important to your lessons of love.

What do YOU want out of love?

The next level of questions is more specific and more soul-searching:

  •   What do you want in a relationship?
  •  Are you a traditional sort that wants a home, a yard and a dog?
  • Or are you a city person that wants a loft and the hustle and bustle of lots to do?
  •   Are you wanting to get married or enter into a long-term relationship or are you really just looking for new love interests?

An important lesson in love is being able to define what you are willing and wanting to give to a relationship.  Turn the question around and ask yourself, not what you want, but what are you willing to give to your love life?  This helps to fine tune what you truly do want and what factors are important to you in a love partner.

Learn from the past and let it inspire you to find your perfect love!

Lastly and most importantly, use your own life, your own heartbreaks and happy moments to assist you in realizing what you are looking for in a partner.  Instead of lamenting your broken heart or your lost loves, use them as your most important tool in your own love lessons.