Millicent Hunter has been a long time fan of Beyond Black & White, and has become a personal friend. I remember wondering, when we actually met when I was at a book signing event in Washington D.C., how this beautiful, smart, conservative woman was single. She’s such a catch!

It turns out there was one fellow she met on InterracialDatingCentral.com who saw what I saw and when I saw her Facebook status change from “single” to “married,” I had the biggest, cheesiest grin on my face.

Here’s what she told me: “Hi Chris. FYI we met on interracialdating.com last year. We started talking to each other and realized we met online 4 years earlier but he had sent me his number and I didn’t call.him. So we never progressed past the initial email. Four years later we met again. I guess it was destiny.”

What I love the most about this whole endeavor of telling black women what they should have already known–that they are amazing and worthy of love in whatever package it comes in–is that it’s sinking in, as evidenced by the surge of interracial relationships, marriages and families I’ve witnessed since I started blogging in 2010. Millicent has been a friend and a supporter since the beginning, and some of you BB&W vets might know Millicent as “Penny” on this blog.

And for the older ladies, Millicent wanted me to tell you that this is her FIRST marriage, at 50 years old. “Focus on character and quality. God blessed me with quality after some serious vetting including working through questions on the web. It was 143 questions to ask before marrying someone. The passion and “love” wax and wane. A man of character is a prize,” she said.

Check out her wedding pics and her handsome new hubby!

When I hear some women balk about online dating, I have to just pause and take deep breaths. The internet has allowed for some of the most unlikely pairing to find lasting love. This is especially truth if you don’t often leave your six block radius for anything other than going to your job. When it comes to dating, casting the widest net makes the most sense.

Stop worrying, and start exploring. The world is your oyster, ladies.