If you have been reading the Newsletters you have probably read the story Marie sent me. An abbreviated version follows:

Dear Richard,

I kept reading your newsletters, and I thought, "why not try a two month membership to Perfectmatch? What do I have to lose?"

I had been very reluctant to use any online dating services. After completing the free Perfectmatch Compatibility Profile offered on www.seniorbachelor.com and signing up, the first glance at other profiles was exciting- were there really over 425 single men over 50 in my area?

Just before the end of the two month trial, I met Michael. We began writing, then talked on the phone multiple times, then finally met for breakfast. After the second week, and a long motorcycle ride, we were both hooked and are now enjoying the romance of being in love- who would have thought it could happen so fast! Family and friends are still important in my life, and always will be. Yet, it is that very special bonding, and sharing of life's day to day activities, past experiences, hopes and dreams, and especially the warmth of human touch that was so missing. We both think we have something special in the works, yet plan to enjoy the relationship for awhile before considering marriage.

Thank you for sharing your dream with thousands and really making a difference in so many lives. May your health continue to improve, and may your journey continue until, you, too find that perfect match!

Marie

Last week I received the following e-mail from Marie.

I'm the Marie in the love story still shown in your newsletter. Michael has proposed and I've accepted! As stated in my original letter, our attraction to each other and the romance was almost instant for both of us - from the very first meeting. We were both a little shaken by the intensity and how fast it happened and said initially that we needed some time for the relationship to develop.

Well, after 4 months we decided the wait was long enough- at our age why waste time? Seriously, we have searched our hearts and that "gut" feeling and it just seems right. We have discovered a lot about each other in the time spent together and like what we see. We have not yet set the wedding date, but are making plans to consolidate our two households and years of collections of "stuff" -that is a challenge in itself.

He is a wonderful companion and friend- one that I would not have met if it had not been for your newsletters and encouragement to join PerfectMatch.

Marie

Click here to sign up for the Perfect Match free Profile!

Joe and I couldn't resist putting this in! Enjoy. It's titled "What pets do when we are away."

Sometimes the photos do not come through, and if this is the case, wait a few days and go to www.seniorbachelor.com to the Newsletter page and you will see the photos there. We apologize for any inconvenience.

In case you missed this very important newsletter, I've repeated it here:

Many people have asked if the Senior Bachelor Journey will continue. And the answer is...At this time, I don't know. There are many reasons why I do not know, and I wanted to bring everyone up to date.

Please note that I used to send out Newsletters each week, but recently I have been sending one every three weeks or so. This is because I have had nothing new or interesting to relate and I did not want to bore you.

The main reason I am unsure if the Journey will resume is due to my medical situation. It has been four months since the operation and my doctors feel it is too early to be thinking about a long, extended trip to places like Africa, India, Laos and Cambodia, and I believe that is prudent thinking. However, there are other factors going into making this decision.

I have always heard that when you face a life threatening situation, that you take stock of where you are in life and where you want to go. That you re-evaluate and re-prioritize how you want to spend your time. For all of my life my priorities have been the same; Family, Sports and Travel, and now at 65, those priorities have not changed. My three sons, Richard, Chris and Gabby, and my two daughters-in- law Jill and Lauren, and my seven grandchildren have been super to me, and I have been spending as much time with them as possible. I thank them and feel a sincere debt of gratitude to them.

Since the Journey came to a screeching halt in January, I have felt a deep sense lot of disappointment. Disappointment for the millions of people who have been following this adventure due to the exposure by The Oprah Winfrey Show, People Magazine, and other media. Disappointment for the 2,200 women who had the courage to send in videotapes and biographies. Disappointment for the twenty-two Fabulous finalists. And the deepest sense of disappointment for Vicki, Gael, Lori, Vija and Cindee, who jumped through all of the hoops and then agreed to travel with me.

My sincerest and heartfelt apologies to anyone I may have disappointed.

Now that the landscape has been changed, the question arises.....If I am all right medically, do I want to put myself, and the other women, back in a situation where something else unforeseen could go wrong? How would I feel then? These last six months I have thought about this so much. Or do I want to spend time with my family, and not run the risk of disappointing anyone else. I hope to have the answers to these questions before the end of this year.

I thank you all for hanging in there with this Search and Journey, and for all of your supportive e-mails and cards.

Warmest Regards,

Richard

Email: richard@seniorbachelor.com

Web: http://www.seniorbachelor.com