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By the time Tahira and John found each other, they’d arrived at a point in their lives when standards had shifted. Both professional communicators, among their criteria on the Match.com dating site was a potential partner who could spell well and otherwise had a solid command of the English language. That was the criteria for entry. A split verb in someone’s profile got that person deleted, on to the next.

They met in 2018 — well, they were in the same room attending an awards luncheon for public relations professionals working in North Carolina’s public schools. The O. Henry Hotel in Greensboro, North Carolina, was the venue. Tahira did not notice John. He remembered her being in work mode, maybe taking pictures with the communications team she led.

Life happened. Relationships fizzled. Both tried Match.com. Tahira enjoyed some nice meals. John, a tightwad, paid for his unfair share of lunches and dinners, felt like he was financing a feeding ministry.

John, living in Raleigh, North Carolina, wasn’t looking for anything long distance, but there was that day the algorithm gods saw fit to include in his Match.com offerings the headshot of a lady who had this exceptional set of teeth. It was the woman from the O. Henry!

John pressed the like button on her profile. Tahira gave him a like, and what impressed her was not only John’s ability to spell but also his proclivity to say more than, “Hey, beautiful!!!” She is that, no question, but there were so many of those tired lines from guys introducing themselves through selfies in public restrooms. John offered a riddle, teasing her with prose about their shared experience in public school communications.

“Who is this man? How does he know me?” Tahira wondered.

Four days later, they had a first date on FaceTime. Which was practical, providing an opportunity for each to see whether their pictures on the dating site —- ahem! — matched what they saw in real time.

Check.

They had another FaceTime date —- the next day. They soon met in person, ax-throwing and dinner in Charlotte, North Carolina, where Tahira lives. Then dinner in Greensboro at a New Orleans-themed restaurant. Tahira’s from New Orleans. John knew exactly what he was doing.

The thoughtfulness was mutual. John’s daddy was on his deathbed when he and Tahira connected online Jan. 14, 2024. She made it her business to attend the funeral when his father died in February, driving from Charlotte to Raleigh and back to Charlotte that same day. Nobody in John’s family knew she was there, didn’t know who she was. John’s friends didn’t know. Tahira didn’t grandstand in any way to let folks know she was there. It purely was about supporting someone with whom she might have a future.

For the last two years, Tahira and John have chosen each other and worked to build a solid relationship filled with love, so many laughs, support and friendship. They will carry that into the rest of their lives with each other.

As Tahira and John become one, they are excited to share their special day with family, friends and loved ones. #McCannMatch