I’ve always wondered what it really means to find your soulmate. People say that when it happens, you “just know,” or you “click” instantly. But what does that even feel like? And how do they know for sure?
Sometimes, I get a little envious hearing people describe their soulmate stories. I find myself wondering: When will I meet mine? I’ve read the books and watched the movies where two people are destined to be together, but even then, I’m left with the same lingering question—how do they know it’s them?
A love Split in two
The idea of soulmates isn’t new. In fact, it dates back to Greek mythology, where it’s said that humans were once whole—one soul, one body—but were split in two by Zeus as punishment. Since then, we’ve been longing for that missing half. Then there’s the more spiritual take—that soulmates are connected by fate, bound by an invisible thread across lifetimes. Some believe we’ve met our soulmate in past lives, and we’ll find them again, no matter how many lifetimes it takes.
More Than Just Romance
But the truth is, the definition of a soulmate varies for everyone.
For some, a soulmate is someone who stays when things get tough. Someone who chooses you again and again, no matter how hard life gets. For others, a soulmate is someone you meet at exactly the right time, when you’re finally ready to receive the kind of love they offer. And sometimes, the idea of soulmates feels like it’s pulled straight out of a storybook, fitting perfectly to the tropes we adore—childhood friends-to-lovers, soul-deep slow burns, or strangers fated to collide because of some invisible string tying them together.
Or maybe that’s just the hopeless romantic in me talking—getting too lost in novels and rom-coms, believing love is poetry in motion.
Again, there are different ways people view a soulmate.
But for me, a soulmate doesn’t have to be a romantic partner. Sometimes, it’s a friend. A companion. Someone who just gets you. You might have just met, yet feel like you’ve known them forever, sharing a deep connection where you just know that this person understands you, hears you, listens to you, or even carries the same wounds. This person could align with my values and morals. They don’t complete you—they reflect you.
I’ve felt that—a connection that seems to defy time. One month in, and I’m already wondering how it’s even possible we didn’t grow up side by side. I’ve met people who mirror my humor, my preferences, even my pain. People who just get me without needing the backstory. Sometimes, it feels like I’ve met another version of myself—like a literal twin—someone who complements me in the smallest, strangest ways, from our favorite foods to the way we laugh at the same oddly specific things.
And then there are the connections that go even deeper. The ones where someone understands me, not just for who I am now, but for everything I’ve been through. They recognize the weight I carry from my past, and somehow, they know exactly where it hurts and how to hold it gently. Isn’t that its own kind of magic?
When soulmates don’t stay
Of course, not everyone believes in soulmates. Some say it’s all just brain chemistry—a rush of infatuation that tricks us into feeling a deep sense of devotion. Others believe that the people we call “soulmates” are simply those who leave a mark on us: they teach us, change us, guide us—sometimes for a moment, sometimes for a lifetime.
And maybe that’s true, too.
Over time, I’ve learned that not every soulmate is meant to stay. Some are temporary, but memorable. Some are lessons in love, growth, or heartbreak. Some are there to show you the experience of a good and healthy relationship. Some are there to help you with all your struggles and help you find yourself in a happier place. They walk with us for a while, help us heal, and then go their own way. Maybe one person sees you as their soulmate, but the feeling isn’t mutual. Maybe timing tears you apart before anything can begin.
But just because it doesn’t last forever doesn’t mean it wasn’t real.
Maybe your soulmate was that childhood friend you lost touch with. Or the person who lived across the hall in college that you never really talked to. Maybe it’s someone you haven’t met yet, or someone who’s been in your life all along, just waiting for the right moment.
Believing in something bigger
Everyone has their own version of what a soulmate is. Whether you believe in the myth of being split in two or in the idea of soul contracts written across lifetimes, the point is—these deep, unexplainable connections are real to the people who feel them.
“Love is the closest thing we have to magic.”
– Aquamarine (2006)
Maybe believing in soulmates is like believing in mermaids or a higher power—some people might think it’s silly or delusional. But if you believe in it deeply, then it’s real for you. And that’s what matters.
And yes, for what it’s worth—I do believe in soulmates, in some version of them. Because sometimes, when two souls meet, it just makes sense in a way that words can’t quite explain… if you believe in soulmates, then maybe they’re already out there looking for you, too.