My widowed grandfather wrote a Lonely Hearts newspaper ad in the 1950s that helped him meet his 2nd wife. One of my good friends met her husband of 15 years through a dating service. New ways to meet people continue to crop up in the form of on-line dating services; some cater to bicycling aficionados, Star Trek fans, even...interestingly...salad lovers. That's right, you can find your Salad Soulmate! I was recently contacted by the creator of a new dating website called YesChildfree. Meeting people who are not interested in having kids is a niche market, and a dating site like this puts the topic on the table from the start. I was allowed a peek at the site and their membership is worldwide. Since I know 2 people who met through on-line dating who live 4 hours apart, it's clear that distance is not necessarily a deterrent. For example, someone in Chicago might be a good match for someone in St. Louis. Or someone in NYC might be the perfect for someone in Washington, DC (both examples are 4-hour treks). When I wrote my book, I interviewed women who were frustrated by the challenge of finding a mate who doesn't want kids. Just as there are Salad Soulmates, Star Trek Soulmates, there are also matches when it comes to the no-kids topic. Seek and ye may find!

Melanie Holmes