rethinking your idea of soulmates

the smell of rain sinking into the pavement, the hum of late-night conversations, a friend’s head resting on your shoulder—these are the small beauties that carry the weight of humanity’s magic. but what exactly is a soulmate? for many of us, the word has been shaped by fairytales whispered as we drifted to sleep, or the disney movies etched into our brains. we were taught to believe that somewhere out there exists one perfect person destined for us.

i, too, believed this notion. i fawned over the idea that love was written in the stars, waiting patiently for me to stumble upon it.

but life—through messy friendships, tearful late-night talks with family, and unexpected kindness from strangers—has challenged this belief. i’ve learned that soulmates don’t have to be confined to romance. sometimes, they reveal themselves in the quiet, everyday moments that carry the same weight as love itself.

take friendship soulmates. these are the people who sit beside you through the highs and lows: the classmate you meet in fourth grade, the roommate who finds you crying in the dorm hallway at nineteen. we often overlook how powerful this love is. these are the friends who just get it without asking, who make hours slip away in conversation. their presence proves that some of the deepest love stories aren’t romantic at all but are rooted in care, loyalty, and an abundance of tenderness.

family soulmates are another. while none of us choose the environment we’re born into, we do choose how deeply we embrace familial love. the late-night talks with siblings, the consoling words of a mother, or even the bonds we build with found families all belong here. these connections remind us of unconditional love and its ability to ground us, to remind us that we belong.

then there are moment soulmates, which might be the most magical of all. these aren’t people but fleeting instances when you fall in love with life itself: dancing in the rain, blasting your favorite song on the highway, laughing so hard your stomach aches. they are temporary but powerful, anchoring us to the beauty of simply existing.

and yes, there are still romantic soulmates—but not in the “one and only” way we were promised. life grants us many great loves, each arriving at the time we need them most. some stay, others leave, but all shape who we become.

in the end, soulmates are about being seen. they’re not just love stories, but every story that makes your heart swell—reminding you that being alive, being present, is its own kind of magic.