On my 6 mile walk to and from the lab in 94 degree weather today I was quite literally frying myself to the point of third degree burn. Oh don't worry though, I had a portable pool around me - no, not the blow up kind. The sweat kind. Good thing my visceral system is up and running- go secretory glands go! Okay enough of the physiology of the human - sweat is awesome and all, 90% of the time I'm bathed in it by choice, but when I'm sweating all over my corpus coliseum drawing, causing the ink to run down and onto the brain stem, I get a little ticked off.
Anyway, to distract myself from training for a Sahara Desert trek, I started to blog in my head - which I do a lot. Mostly when I'm cycling. So far, I'm working one entitled:
There are Two Types of Men in the World: Golfers and Fisherman
Inspired by, yup, you guessed it, mama dearest.
But I'm not blogging about that today, mostly because it's not done yet. I'll keep you posted, though. Today the topic is soul mates.
The word "soul mate" has become a term that is vastly overused and massively misunderstood. When you hear "soul mate," you automatically think: puppy love, awkward and sappy poems, Romeo and Juliet, peanut butter and jelly, and maybe even some sad, pathetic teenager whimpering into her diary, asking when she'll find hers and whether or not Billy the Captain of the Football team is it. Yup, soul mate. How very cliche - vomit worthy.
I've never called anyone my soul mate, mostly because I tend to stray away from Hallmark terms...even the phrase "I love you" makes me roll my eyes when said in anyway other than "Love ya!" Probably because most of the time, the person saying it barely knows my last name, much less what love really means. I've heard it too many times and not enough times in a sincere way. Unless your name is Shanna, Daniel, Joe, Nancy, Mark, Ally, Anya, or Brit...saying, "i love you" to me will bring a smile and a "Love ya too!" but I probably won't believe you, no offense.
So back to soul mates. A person can have multiple soul mates. There's the best friend (or 3) who knows you better than yourself. They know when you're happy, when you're sad, when you need help, and when you don't, even if you ask for it. They know your REAL ambitions, not just the ones you tell everyone. They will never judge you. They will never purposely hurt you. If you look fat in a dress or a shirt, they not only tell you, but they invited you to hit the gym the next day...not only because they care, but because they see themselves in you. You are a direct reflection of their decisions. You may not talk to them every week, or even every day, but they know you love them more than anything, and you know they think about you every day. When you see them on the street, your heart skips a beat and you get so excited you jump up and down and scream like the maniacs you are. They make you smile just by being. And when you get together, it's like you were inseparable to begin with.
There's the soulmate in your family. This person understands where you come from, because she's always been there. You haven't gone a day without her in your life. Of course you love your entire family dearly, but she's the one you can depend on for anything. She will give you everything and ask for nothing. She listens when you're venting, and offer advice only when it's appropriate. Sometimes she says nothing, but that's all you need - just someone to talk to that's not a wall. Someone on the other end who is listening, but lets you make the decision on your own...because she understands that in the end, it's yours to make. Why? Because she's been there. She can relate any situation to your childhood. She was there for your birth, for your first birthday, the time you fell off your bike, the time you made a doll house out of books, the time your dog died, the time you got your first pet, the time you won your first race...she's the first person you want to call when you get an A on your test, and the last person you want to call before you board a plane. She's the one you will entrust your children to if anything happens, not because she will raise them just like you - because lets face it, she's your opposite -but because you know she is the only one who will do it anywhere near as good. You have a bond that only blood can have, you can never get away from her, no matter how much you want to sometimes. You look up to her for everything and secretly, want to be just like her. When you were kids, you stole all her CDs, even if you thought Dave Matthews had an obnoxious voice and Enya sounded like indian war songs. You took her make up and her clothes because you adored her. You worshiped her. You got mad when she moved away, because that meant you couldn't mirror her every move in some sad attempt to be her twin. You still get ticked off when others say you look nothing alike, because that means you aren't anywhere near as gorgeous as she is. You can go months without seeing each other, but still be able to pick her out of an airport full of people...just because you've memorized the way she stands or know she always wears pink polos and white pants. You come out of the bathroom and bedroom only to realize you're wearing the exact same outfit, down to the patent leather black pumps...but you don't mind. She will always be your ideal because you see a part of her in everything you do. Her being is embedded in yours. You share memories you can't recall -memories your soul recognizes, but head never remembers.
There's the dog soul mate. You search and search for the perfect Kl9, the perfect pet for the other end of the leash. You look in the newspaper, the pound, the pet store. You scour the streets and inquire friends if their friends know of anything. You search for weeks, but nothing is right. Sure, there are plenty of perfect, pure breeds. But you're not a pure bred, and you're not perfect. So you don't want your dog to be, either. You're just about to give up hope then then you see him: he's perfect - OK not perfect, but perfect for you. There's something about him that makes you want to snap a leash on his collar, call him Fido, and take him home for some serious fetch and belly rubs. You know what, he even looks like you. He acts like you too. He will forever be the absolute perfect dog, even if he eats all your pillows, chews your shoes, poops in the driveway, and attacks the blinds. He bites brooms, throws up, and can't walk in a straight line. He bites your feet and his growl sounds like Satan himself has taken over his body. But somehow, you know you'll never find another dog as perfect as him. And when he passes away, a little part of you dies, too. You'll get other dogs, but they'll never live up to him. His picture is on the mantle, and there he will stay.
Then I supposed there's the quintessential soul mate. The person you were meant to be with for the rest of your life - the soul mate everyone thinks of when they hear the word. I'm not sure if I have a soul mate, honestly I'm not sure if anyone can put up with my antics long enough to deserve the title. I've been "in love" plenty of times, on different levels and what not. I've convinced myself I've found my husband and planned out my future - were they my soul mate? Hell no. Because there was always that little piece of doubt. With a soul mate, there is no doubt.
It may not be the person who is exactly like you in every way. It may not be the person who can guess your next move, the person who thinks you're the funniest person on the planet, or the person who supports you in everything you do. It's not the person who calls you love, dear, and darling. It's usually not the person who loves you the most, and definitely not the person who gives up everything for you...because who wants that anyway? It's not the person who lets you have the remote and the nicer side of the bed and does your laundry and your dishes and your floors. This is not a soul mate. This is a slave. - do not mistake the two.
However, it may be the person who infuriates you beyond imagination. The person who makes you bawl your eyes out at 3 am and rip apart everything in your room. It may be the person who makes your heart bubble and your palms sweat. It might be the person who makes you love and hate at the same time, and you didn't even know that was possible. It might be the person who understands concepts you don't and comes from places you've never seen, and this person might listen to music that makes your head pop off. It might be this person, but this person could also be your person torture and the bane of your existence. This is called being in love, or infatuated. But it's not a soul mate.
All I know for sure, is a soul mate is the person who brings out the part of you that you love the most. The person who makes you better than you thought you could be. The person who pushes you to your limits, then past them. You love yourself more because they brought something out inside of you that was there all along and you didn't even know it. You can do things you couldn't before because they are in your life. You've dreamed about the thins you're doing now, and because of them, you're doing that and so much more. You may not love them, but you think you could some day. They change who you are, and because of them you are changed for the better. When you're in doubt, all you need is the image of them in your head, and suddenly you find strength you didn't have before. It's an energy, not a feeling.
Then again, you could have multiple mates in your life. Who says your soul is stagnate? Your body and mind change, so why can't your soul?
I challenge myself to find all the soul mates I can, because I like the idea of finding counterparts of myself in other people. Makes the world a little more connected, don't you think?
love love love,
me
Anyway, to distract myself from training for a Sahara Desert trek, I started to blog in my head - which I do a lot. Mostly when I'm cycling. So far, I'm working one entitled:
There are Two Types of Men in the World: Golfers and Fisherman
Inspired by, yup, you guessed it, mama dearest.
But I'm not blogging about that today, mostly because it's not done yet. I'll keep you posted, though. Today the topic is soul mates.
The word "soul mate" has become a term that is vastly overused and massively misunderstood. When you hear "soul mate," you automatically think: puppy love, awkward and sappy poems, Romeo and Juliet, peanut butter and jelly, and maybe even some sad, pathetic teenager whimpering into her diary, asking when she'll find hers and whether or not Billy the Captain of the Football team is it. Yup, soul mate. How very cliche - vomit worthy.
I've never called anyone my soul mate, mostly because I tend to stray away from Hallmark terms...even the phrase "I love you" makes me roll my eyes when said in anyway other than "Love ya!" Probably because most of the time, the person saying it barely knows my last name, much less what love really means. I've heard it too many times and not enough times in a sincere way. Unless your name is Shanna, Daniel, Joe, Nancy, Mark, Ally, Anya, or Brit...saying, "i love you" to me will bring a smile and a "Love ya too!" but I probably won't believe you, no offense.
So back to soul mates. A person can have multiple soul mates. There's the best friend (or 3) who knows you better than yourself. They know when you're happy, when you're sad, when you need help, and when you don't, even if you ask for it. They know your REAL ambitions, not just the ones you tell everyone. They will never judge you. They will never purposely hurt you. If you look fat in a dress or a shirt, they not only tell you, but they invited you to hit the gym the next day...not only because they care, but because they see themselves in you. You are a direct reflection of their decisions. You may not talk to them every week, or even every day, but they know you love them more than anything, and you know they think about you every day. When you see them on the street, your heart skips a beat and you get so excited you jump up and down and scream like the maniacs you are. They make you smile just by being. And when you get together, it's like you were inseparable to begin with.
There's the soulmate in your family. This person understands where you come from, because she's always been there. You haven't gone a day without her in your life. Of course you love your entire family dearly, but she's the one you can depend on for anything. She will give you everything and ask for nothing. She listens when you're venting, and offer advice only when it's appropriate. Sometimes she says nothing, but that's all you need - just someone to talk to that's not a wall. Someone on the other end who is listening, but lets you make the decision on your own...because she understands that in the end, it's yours to make. Why? Because she's been there. She can relate any situation to your childhood. She was there for your birth, for your first birthday, the time you fell off your bike, the time you made a doll house out of books, the time your dog died, the time you got your first pet, the time you won your first race...she's the first person you want to call when you get an A on your test, and the last person you want to call before you board a plane. She's the one you will entrust your children to if anything happens, not because she will raise them just like you - because lets face it, she's your opposite -but because you know she is the only one who will do it anywhere near as good. You have a bond that only blood can have, you can never get away from her, no matter how much you want to sometimes. You look up to her for everything and secretly, want to be just like her. When you were kids, you stole all her CDs, even if you thought Dave Matthews had an obnoxious voice and Enya sounded like indian war songs. You took her make up and her clothes because you adored her. You worshiped her. You got mad when she moved away, because that meant you couldn't mirror her every move in some sad attempt to be her twin. You still get ticked off when others say you look nothing alike, because that means you aren't anywhere near as gorgeous as she is. You can go months without seeing each other, but still be able to pick her out of an airport full of people...just because you've memorized the way she stands or know she always wears pink polos and white pants. You come out of the bathroom and bedroom only to realize you're wearing the exact same outfit, down to the patent leather black pumps...but you don't mind. She will always be your ideal because you see a part of her in everything you do. Her being is embedded in yours. You share memories you can't recall -memories your soul recognizes, but head never remembers.
There's the dog soul mate. You search and search for the perfect Kl9, the perfect pet for the other end of the leash. You look in the newspaper, the pound, the pet store. You scour the streets and inquire friends if their friends know of anything. You search for weeks, but nothing is right. Sure, there are plenty of perfect, pure breeds. But you're not a pure bred, and you're not perfect. So you don't want your dog to be, either. You're just about to give up hope then then you see him: he's perfect - OK not perfect, but perfect for you. There's something about him that makes you want to snap a leash on his collar, call him Fido, and take him home for some serious fetch and belly rubs. You know what, he even looks like you. He acts like you too. He will forever be the absolute perfect dog, even if he eats all your pillows, chews your shoes, poops in the driveway, and attacks the blinds. He bites brooms, throws up, and can't walk in a straight line. He bites your feet and his growl sounds like Satan himself has taken over his body. But somehow, you know you'll never find another dog as perfect as him. And when he passes away, a little part of you dies, too. You'll get other dogs, but they'll never live up to him. His picture is on the mantle, and there he will stay.
Then I supposed there's the quintessential soul mate. The person you were meant to be with for the rest of your life - the soul mate everyone thinks of when they hear the word. I'm not sure if I have a soul mate, honestly I'm not sure if anyone can put up with my antics long enough to deserve the title. I've been "in love" plenty of times, on different levels and what not. I've convinced myself I've found my husband and planned out my future - were they my soul mate? Hell no. Because there was always that little piece of doubt. With a soul mate, there is no doubt.
It may not be the person who is exactly like you in every way. It may not be the person who can guess your next move, the person who thinks you're the funniest person on the planet, or the person who supports you in everything you do. It's not the person who calls you love, dear, and darling. It's usually not the person who loves you the most, and definitely not the person who gives up everything for you...because who wants that anyway? It's not the person who lets you have the remote and the nicer side of the bed and does your laundry and your dishes and your floors. This is not a soul mate. This is a slave. - do not mistake the two.
However, it may be the person who infuriates you beyond imagination. The person who makes you bawl your eyes out at 3 am and rip apart everything in your room. It may be the person who makes your heart bubble and your palms sweat. It might be the person who makes you love and hate at the same time, and you didn't even know that was possible. It might be the person who understands concepts you don't and comes from places you've never seen, and this person might listen to music that makes your head pop off. It might be this person, but this person could also be your person torture and the bane of your existence. This is called being in love, or infatuated. But it's not a soul mate.
All I know for sure, is a soul mate is the person who brings out the part of you that you love the most. The person who makes you better than you thought you could be. The person who pushes you to your limits, then past them. You love yourself more because they brought something out inside of you that was there all along and you didn't even know it. You can do things you couldn't before because they are in your life. You've dreamed about the thins you're doing now, and because of them, you're doing that and so much more. You may not love them, but you think you could some day. They change who you are, and because of them you are changed for the better. When you're in doubt, all you need is the image of them in your head, and suddenly you find strength you didn't have before. It's an energy, not a feeling.
Then again, you could have multiple mates in your life. Who says your soul is stagnate? Your body and mind change, so why can't your soul?
I challenge myself to find all the soul mates I can, because I like the idea of finding counterparts of myself in other people. Makes the world a little more connected, don't you think?
love love love,
me
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