Dating as an older person can be like navigating rough waters at sea. You may want to, but not be ready to take the plunge – or even know how to swim! Well, you’re not alone. According to a recent AARP survey, most single GenXers, Boomers, and grandparents are open to dating but are not actively doing so. And it can certainly be challenging to find someone compatible with your needs and desired traits- yet it may be worth taking the dive. You don’t have to start online. In an AARP video series, for example, grandkids set their grandparents up on blind dates after interviewing and narrowing down to the “best match.” In one episode, a grandson sets his comedian grandfather up with someone spontaneous and humorous – traits that are important to him. Although the two don’t end up romantically involved, they still have a fun, positive experience and become friends. So networking among friends and family could help yield some dating opportunities.

Of course, online dating apps are becoming more and more popular and offer us romantic matches of a wide geographic and age diversity. Yet a recent study of the apps suggests that even with these expanded dating options, most of us are still searching for a partner of similar age and location. And if you’re wondering what it’s like to use an online dating app, Next Avenue recently published a post about a once long-time married, but now divorced, woman who describes her experience with online dating. Adjusting to new developments of the digital age, she demystifies profile trends and can help you steer this often baffling course.

Whether you meet someone through a family member, via a dating app, or at your local grocery store, you should remember that sometimes it just takes a little effort and patience to meet other singles. In fact, sometimes these challenges can even bond you to unexpected persons. That’s the case with one daughter and her widowed father who, in a struggle to find fulfilling partnerships of their own, grew closer to each other. Read the full article in The New York Times here, or listen to Natasha Lyonne’s audio recording here.