soulmates

we've all heard it before... the concept of soulmates. so, before i even started to write this, i looked up what it means "by definition" and of course "googled" it.

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dictionary.com - "One of two persons compatible with each other in disposition, point of view, or sensitivity."

Merriam Websters - "a person who is perfectly suited to another in temperament. a person who strongly resembles another in attitudes and beliefs"

according to solvedating.com - (these are actually pretty interesting)

classic meaning of soulmates: the concepts of soulmates arose from greek mythology. according to the story, our ancestors once had 2 heads, 4 arms. they did something to offend a god so that god punished them by splitting them down the middle, resulting in the creation of humans. as a punishment, we are condemned to spend our lives searching for the other half, our soulmates.

spiritual soulmate concepts: many religions and spiritual paths believe in reincarnation and the concept of karma. through reincarnation, soulmates may spend many lifetimes together in past lives.

companion soulmates: these are people that we encounter through their life. these are usually friends, teachers, mentors, or other people who have helped you achieving a life's goal or helped you out of a crisis.

twin soulmates: these types of soulmate are your closest friends or a person whom you really click with. according to those who believe in reincarnation, you have already met them in a past life, and in this life you are continuing the relationship. there is an emotional bond between these soulmates and each is able to sense the feelings of each other. (aka "kindred spirits")

twin flame soulmates: this is the most popular type of soulmate. there is usually one twin flame soulmate for each of us. twin flame soulmates have spent multiple lifetimes together in past lives. there is incredible chemistry and attraction towards each other. they "complete" each other and only few lucky people are able to find their twin flame soulmate. twin flame soulmates, if separated, usually suffer enormous pain.

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by the way - for $1.00 a minute, there's a number for a psychic that can tell you " how to tell if you have met kindred spirits already. how to tell if someone is a kindred spirit. how many kindred spirits do you currently have in your life." good luck on that one. sorry, i forgot to get the number.

regardless of the definition you prefer - mine, webster's or your own, i think it's important to recognize these people in your life, and i guess that's why i'm writing about it.

until i actually read what it means, i think that my definition was sort of a combination of all those things. in my world, a soulmate is someone who is able to fill an empty part of your life, that no one else has been able to. sometimes it's a need or a hunger, other times it can just be a security blanket, or even wings. yes, they would "complete me." but more than that, i think it's someone who gets you, SEES you for who you are.

ok, so everyone would like to believe that they can be themselves all the time, but the reality is that there are parts of ourselves that we never let other people see. . . but with some people, they get it without words, without explanations. that's a soulmate in my book. there is a profound level of acceptance and understanding, that is beyond words. there is a connection, a tie that binds, so to speak.

i have a friend that i believe is one of my soulmates (yes, i believe that i will have more than one). sure, we disagree on things. . . but amazingly, we have gone through so much of the same crisis and chaotic cycles in our lives, and we always seem to understand each other's bizarre decisions, despite much criticism from other friends. we have never judged each other.

we have a lot of the same tastes, philosophies and a shared sense of right and wrong. does this mean that we agree on everything? absolutely not... but it means that we allow each other the ability to disagree... to be different, but yet still the same. there is a strange sense of comfort that i feel when i'm around her, and i cherish it. and i guess in some wierd way, having her in my life - sometimes reminds me that i'm not crazy, and i'm not so different. i have always known that we will be in each other's lives forever. what a great feeling.

i have another friend, this one is a guy - and the closer we get to each other, the more i think that there's something cosmic in our relationship. are we soulmates? i really don't know. but it's definitely something to think about.

the confusing part? for every one thing we agree on, there is an equal if not more important issue that we disagree on. i have had some of the most surprisingly intense arguments with him. we push each other's buttons to no end. but somehow, we always manage to find a middle ground. and no matter how pissed off i get, the idea of not having him in my life seems unimaginable. one of his friends commented to me that we have a strange friendship, and that he thinks that we might have been siblings in a previous life. i guess this is where the idea of "kindred spirits" comes in.

but more than just this "mystical" bond, i trust him. i feel a strange sense of security whenever he's around. and though he's never very tactful when pointing out my faults, a lot of times, he's right. and after being able to sit back and reflect, i am often able to try actually take steps to improve, and ultimately - it makes me a better person. and that's pretty freaking cool thing.

as much as i love a friendly debate, with him - you never which way it will end - in laughter or tears. but at the end of it all - he gets me. and i think i get him too. and as different as we can be, we are also very much alike. and in a bizarre way, i think we find balance in each other. at the end of the day i can only say without a doubt, that we do have a connection, and the best part? it's platonic, without complications. our friendship is far from ideal, but it makes sense to me.

besides all that - both of them have influenced my life, added value to it. they both force me to look at things from different perspectives. they enhance my exposure to different life experiences whether it's a thought provoking book, an inspiring movie, a philisophical discussion, food, wine, or even a great laugh. . . and a lot of times, mundane things become meaningful, boring moments are bearable, and a nice evening can be divine and memorable.

more importantly i see that the presence of these two people in my life means something, i appreciate it and i cherish it for what it is. and i guess what i'm really trying to sell right now is the idea that there are different types of soulmates.

do i believe in the existence of "the one?" -hell yeah! but that doesn't mean that everyone who touches my soul or has a profound impact on my life HAS to be the love of my life. and to me that means that my best friend can actually be my soulmate. so it's like only winning half of a $10 million dollar lottery. i don't know about you, but $5 million would make me pretty happy!

Each friend represents a world in us, a world possibly not born until they arrive. ~Anäis Nin