Soulmate?

I was reading a forum in peyups.com about the new series in GMA entitled "Forever In My Heart" starred by Regine Velasquez, Richard Gomez and Ariel Rivera. It is about a 30 year old woman in search for her soulmate. Some people in the thread say that Regine or Angeline inthe soap, is too old to go looking for her the one, some say there's no age limit in finding true love.

But I say is there really such a thing as soulmate?

Honestly I don't believe in soulmates nor in setting a sign to find out if a person is the one that is divinely meant for me.I think the idea of those things are just mere consolation in times when you feel hopeless or confused. Well maybe because I have fallen into enough lies already that I refuse to mislead myself into another delusion.

But I admit that there was a point in my life where I was nearly swayed that I found my soulmate. It was euphoric, it felt like the whole universe and destiny conspired in bringing us together. We like almost the same things, we compliment each other and I feel I'm a better person with him. We were so connected like we knew each other in the past. When I met him everything fell to its right places, I woke up in the morning with thoughts about him and I capped my nights with dreams about us. I felt so complete and I just wanted my world to stop and remain as perfect as that. It was so good to be true that I tried to come to my senses and tested his persistence because I wanted to see if he's for real. But somewhere along the way, my so-called soulmate ceased to exist without even leaving me a promise that we will meet in the next lifetime. I'm not sure if he changed his mind or destiny just got me the wrong person (I didn't know he was returnable).

Sometimes you pay a painful price when you subject yourself into this kind of fantasy.

So now I just look at life as it is, that our life is like a big jigsaw puzzle where each person who have touched our lives in one way or another is a part of that puzzle that makes us to what we are now. Everyone carries a lesson and a purpose that we need at a certain time. Each one I met who have gone or stayed, hurt or loved me is a piece that is meant for me at that perfect time and that perfect place.

I won't look for a soulmate because I am not a lost shoe looking for my other pair, I am not a baffled soul seeking for that one mate who can make me complete. I am my own self and I accept the fact that I can never be done, for I am purposely made with a hole and I will be continually searching for that missing piece. In this big, big universe for sure there can be more than one person who can seem to fill that void, who likes the same food as we do, loves the same color and movies as we do or even think like we do.

But what I am looking for is someone who can accept me as a person who is a work in progress and who is willing to grow with me. Who sees my imperfections as part of my being human. His beliefs may be different from mine but he is open to learn more about life with me. Together we will solve our own puzzles and use our own missing pieces to draw the best in each of us.

He may sound like a soulmate but the most significant difference here is that this person will not just disappear without a reason. For the guarantee that your soulmate will remain with you in this lifetime is as vague as finding one. This person will stay with me not because he was destined to be but because he chooses to, with the same reason that he will come to my life and that's because he loves me.

I will not have to ask for a sign if I found him because only time can tell if this imperfect man will genuinely stay beside me as we trek this bumpy road of life...through ups and downs.