The problem with the word "soulmate" is that too often we act as if it's spelled "solemate," as if there's some singular person out there who exists solely for you, or that you exist solely for them. I don't really think there's only one person out there for me. I can't buy into the idea of a 'special someone' who's totally unique in all the world. And I also don't really think I could ever be with one person forever. I know how that sounds, but to believe otherwise would be arrogant--to assume that I'm someone else's special someone, totally unique in all the world. So I don't buy the idea of solemates. But there have been people's whose souls have been loved by my soul. My soul has wanted to talk to other people's souls and play with their souls and cuddle their souls and kiss them. And this happens both all the time and incredibly rarely. Wanting to get to know a person's soul is just a thing that's going to happen for as long as you're around people. But this feeling may last only a day or a few days or a few minutes. What's more unusual is when it persists, when you crave someone else's soul even when they're not around, when they haven't been around in a long time. I'm a solitary person. Most of my happiest times have been when I was alone, quietly enjoying space by myself. Company is its own kind of happiness, but it usually destroys the happiness that solitude brings--as much as I like my friends, their presence erases the silence of a beautiful day, prevents me from really opening up, to myself, to the universe. Their presence fills the bright void of solitude with a 'something' that's fun but just not the same. But sometimes--rarely--I'll be happy and want someone else around to see it. My soul will be elevated and wish for another soul to share it with, to be elevated with, to lift up and bring along. This, to me, is a soulmate, and while not 'sole,' they are very, very rare.
