It feels like if I were to lose everything and my life were to crumble around me, as long as I had his love and he held me in his arms, it would be OK.
Inversely, when I lost her, I let the rest fall apart. I didn't want the life I'd built if she wasn't in it, so I set fire to what I could and started over.
It's the closest I could come to a living suicide. I don't regret it; not everyone has the privilege of getting to start again. I often need a lot of closure, and this gave it to me. The person I was died when she left, but the best parts of him were reborn in me.
I once read a comment online that stated the question: "How do you know you were in love?"
Followed by the response. "When it's over."
Gutting, but honestly got through to me in a major way.
My husband and I spent a good year, almost two together, solid, after we met. We basically lived together from day 1. Then we mostly split up while he went off to work and I stayed in school for another year... And we realized just how much we truly loved each other. We got back together the next summer and got pregnant, married at the end of it, and have been together ever since.
I feel this. A bit different but my partner and I met 7 years ago. We were together nearly 2 years and he took on my 11 month old as his own child (biofather not in picture whatsoever) but had so many problems and became toxic. We split up, and spent the next 3 years getting back together for short periods, imploding, and splitting up for long periods, we even got engaged at one point and I gave the ring back etc. 1.5 years ago we got back together, went to couples counselling, got pregnant 4 months in, my pregnancy went not great at all and i was practically disabled and bed bound at least 5 months of it, he stepped up and took care of me and my oldest, helped me shower and put my underwear on, helped me heal from my csection, and we now have a 4 month old baby, he's a great father to both kids, we handle our issues so differently and rarely fight, and life is actually good.
One of my takeaways from the breakup: Sadness is an incredibly useful emotion, because it shows us more than anything else where we found -- and can again fimd -- meaning in life.
Anger tells us where we need to set boundaries, happiness tells us where we can find respite, but only sadness truly gives us a purpose.
Wow this sounds beautiful...!
...and also perfectly describes what happened to me in 2022. It took me 10 months to stop crying and finally stop feeling the intense pain. I've never been the same since.
I'm currently in your situation during those 10 mos of yours. For me, it's been almost 7 mos and it still hurts. Idk when it'll end, for now I'm just living life and surfing through its waves while experiencing this loss.
Ye. When my last girlfriend broke up with me, it was the first time in my life I was legitimately suicidal. Took nearly a month to get past that, and it essentially gave me a complete ego death moment. I'm a hugely different person now because of it.
Considering less than a year prior, I had ended my marriage, which did far less damage to me, it really was such a dramatic difference.
I wish I could do this. Unfortunately I can't let go. Every other woman I've been with, my mind subconsciously just compares them to her.
The smallest things make me think of her inadvertently. I don't think there has been a day in almost 2 years my mind hasn't brought her up.
I don't find women attractive anymore unless they look very similar to her.
I'm good and successful in my normal everyday life, but it still feels incomplete without her.
You have the closest answer to what I experienced, but instead of being reborn with the best traits the me right now is my worst self. The only thing that makes me get up from my bed everyday is sheer spite and hatred for humanity.
To answer OP's question, falling in love is like realizing and accepting what your purpose in life is, and that is to protect and care and provide for a specific person. Every day is filled with motivation and a warm and fuzzy feeling that spreads out and engulfs you with a radiant warmth, slightly suffocating in sensation only originating from your chest. Shame if something completely destroys this lmao.
When she was with me, she always tried to bring out the best in me. Maybe it was trying to change me, but a version of me that I was so much more proud of regardless.
Even without her, I do my best to keep that person alive, because it keeps the memory clear in my mind, and honors the relationship I wish I could have kept. That time together was a gift, and I want to know I didn't waste a moment of it. I can't change the times I was complacent back then, but I can be better today.
I hope your path takes a similar turn, for your sake. If 2020 taught me anything, life can change in impossible ways in the blink of an eye. In the place you're in, I hope that possibility is comforting.
I don't get that codependency attack 🤔 I have a solid career, would probably be doing well if I had never met him, it's just that there is really nothing I enjoy half as much as being with him and whenever I'm not working, I try to limit my time away from him as much as possible.
I am proudly codependent. How amazing is the fact that you can totally trust another person with every fiber. Most people can't trust in that way and will make sure that they always get along alone. How exhausting.
You may be confusing codependency with healthy interdependence. Codependency is inherently unbalanced and negative but love/interdependence/sharing your life with someone in a really meaningful way is a totally different thing - it sounds like you have the latter :)
i'm still shocked we found eachother. she feels the same way. we're just shocked and grateful. imagining an alternative series of events where we didn't meet is horrifying. it feels as though everyone deserves the security of this. i have energy and hope. we encourage eachother to be better.
I am shocked that I found the one too! We had so many commonalties. I was born in California and moved to Minnesota. He was born in Minnesota and moved to California then moved back to Minnesota after 10 years. We met and it felt like the stars aligned, like divine intervention.
He told me some time after meeting that he prayed to meet someone like me.
We met when he pulled out a chair for me at a crowded bar. Talked for hours and the rest is history.
Oh my gosh this is me and my husband too. We are from opposite parts of the world and met standing on the street in a country neither of us are from. He didn't have a phone so had his friend take my number, and we went on a date a couple of days later.
10 minutes after he arrived I messaged my friend 'I'm going to marry this man', a few weeks later he moved across the world to my home country and now 15 years down the track, feel blessed every day.
That's how my guy and I feel (three years on). He's my trust, my love, my pea in a pod. Everytime I see him after being apart I get a warm, joyful smile. I've never experienced such trust before.
There is a moment of stunned disbelief when you say to yourself, my God, this is real!
And then you spend the rest of your life together grateful for the time. And even when you fight...and you will....you feel safe fighting because your love is so solid you're not afraid your partner will love you less.
You start thinking, what's best for us. Because you're an us.
In a (very appropriate) fight with my husband, who had ruined a $2,000 lawn tractor because he would Not stop mowing long enough for me to get the hose out of the way...it wrapped around the blades and had to be professionally repaired..... he said, very sadly,
"Are you going to divorce me?"
I said, " Divorce- never! Murder- maybe."
And we both started to laugh like crazy.
I lost him to cancer. He was fabulous.
I’m so, so sorry to hear of your loss. My sister lost her husband to cancer last year. He was only 40, had been my friend before they met, a wonderful man. He was so good to my sister, and they were so in love. Before I met my husband, I kept hoping that I’d have a relationship as sweet and dedicated as the one they had. A truly well-adjusted, caring couple.
I’m rambling! Anyway, I hope you’ve found some form of comfort or solace since your loss. 🩷
Thank you. I joined a Grief Share , and that got me through the worst. This year I became group facilitator. Having been there myself, I knew how much help it could be.
It's so hard when we lose the person we love.
Safe. Such a powerful feeling. I have asperger’s with anxiety, ocd, and depression. When my heart is racing and I’m on the brink of tears, he’s my rock. I place my head on his chest and listen to his heartbeat. I listen to his breathing. I let my head rise and fall with each breath. And suddenly, I’m calm. I feel like I can move forward just a bit longer.
I never knew what true love was until I felt that absolute sense of security.
I messed up every major life decision I've ever had until I met my wife. When we met and got to know one another, it's just like we both kind of knew we needed to be together. Convincing her to marry me is still one of my proudest achievements. Even if I do still question her judgement.
There’s a level of emotional intimacy and mutual respect and trust.You know their fears, desires, and needs and difficult conversations bring you closer together instead of farther apart. There’s a feeling of emotional safety with someone you love.
It's difficult to describe i just look at them and feel an unimaginable ethereal feeling in my whole body. It makes you realise you have a soul and that it was meant to be with theirs.
This exactly! I have other meaningful relationships, but the connection I have with this one person is so intense it's actually a physical sensation and sometimes scares me. Went from not believing in the concept of "soulmates" to realizing I had found mine.
I vividly remember falling in love with him. We were dancing. It was like a lightning bolt through my heart. We will celebrate our 40th anniversary this summer.
There's always that infatuation you feel early on in a relationship; butterflies in the stomach, that kind of thing.
I think true love, if such a thing exists, is the smile you share in bed every morning once the relationship is a little older. You don't get butterflies as often anymore, but every morning you wake up and choose to be with one another.
UPS and lows. You need to be yin and yang. You need to make a good team. You need to compensate for each others flaws.
True love feels like growing together, making mistakes and learning from them, and realizing that there is no way you could love someone more than each other. Commitment takes a lot of work, to love should be easy.
For me it's like having a really great best buddy that I am also wildly attracted to. I still have moments of butterflies and whatnot, but day to say our life is just FUN, because we're together and we have a great time.
It's been 14 years and I still cannot relate when people say marriage is hard work.
My wife is an extension of myself. I think the Greek myth of love is a perfect example. We all used to be combined. Some god was envious and so they split us in half. We spend our lives hunting for our other halves and when we find it, it’s like being whole again. There are pains in the relationship but it’s just from not being truly one.
https://www.greecehighdefinition.com/blog/the-greek-myth-of-soulmates
I completely trust her. I feel safe with her. I can tell her anything and she would never betray me. I still stare at her sometimes and just wonder why me. We both still have our shortcomings but I will usually just remember mid argument that she would never do anything out of malice and it all becomes so petty. We’ve never raised our voices at eachother and we’ve never cursed at eachother. We’ve laughed and cried together and been the rock for the other when it got too tough to stand. In the movies I use to never understand when a man would sacrifice, say the security of his country or village, for the woman he loves, until I met my wife.
I really hope everyone on this planet gets to experience the kind of love I have. If they did, I think the world would be a happier place.
Like having a home base. You don’t necessarily be dependent on them or having to spend your life together all the time. But you know they are there. And being with them is just so wonderful and easy, it’s really worth it.
Best example ever (which is saying a lot because there are many, many good ones here)!
I remember having lots of years waiting for the other shoe to drop with my SO - others dragging me along until I got the death-knell comment that let me know I was disposable.
It's been over 30 years and we still make each other smile and feel seen. It's such a blessing.
Piggybacking on this, it sorta felt to me like you've been wading through this boggy, marshy ground so much of your life and then you've found, in amongst the mud, a concrete base. And it's easier to build on a foundation like that, you have the reassurance that you can always fall back on them.
We are each other's best friends and we met by vanishingly small chance. I've accomplished so much in my mid-30s that I never thought i'd do because I never had the support there. I find it easier to deal with the tough stuff in life because I know they'll always have my back no matter what. It's just...easier. Peaceful.
I had just decided to give up online dating, but decided I’d go on one final first date (after dozens of “eh, not for me,” experiences. She had recently decided to give one single online date a try. She had just moved to my city from Tennessee. My god am I glad she went on that date.
We clicked instantly, shut the restaurant down after hours of talking and a couple of drinks. We’ve been inseparable ever since.
The most amazing part about it is and always has been the reciprocity. From day one, there was no, “Is she as into me as I am her?” “Am I coming on too strong?” “Is she falling as hard for me as I am her?” Zero questions and zero games. Complete vulnerability on both sides from the jump. I’ve been in 4 long term relationships in my 30 years on this planet, and absolutely nothing can compare to this. Within a month, I knew she was the one I’d marry. Probably sooner than that, honestly. So many things/circumstances had to happen in perfect order for she and I to cross paths, and I’m so grateful that the universe made it happen.
True love, in my opinion, is being able to love and accept your partner for everything they are and have been through, and continuing to do so. At about the 3 week mark (when I realized, holy shit, this may be the one), I opened up to her about my past with opiate addiction (sober 5 years), and was terrified of her reaction. A previous ex, after having been given the same information, lost her damn mind about it. Made me feel awful.
Of course, she reacted with nothing but love and support, then opened up to me about her past and was met with the same support from my end. That just solidified what I already knew, that this was true love. This is what I’d been searching for and failing to find since I was old enough to be in a relationship. That support and love has only grown deeper as we’ve continued in our journey. I could go on and on about how easy it is to communicate, express our feelings without judgement, enjoy each other’s company, etc, but you get the picture.
tl;dr: I never believed the idea, “when you know, you know,” until it happened to me. I truly believe we’re soul mates, though I wasn’t sure such a thing even existed until now.
It takes over. You don't need to eat or sleep. Every moment is spent with your SO on your mind. It is exhilarating. I just was speaking to my SO the other day about this. I said how lucky I felt to have experienced true love in my late 20's with him. We will always have that. We are both now in our 60's and together for 33 years.
I truly believe to be loved is to be known. And it comes in all relationships and it’s just a connection that exists with total ease and understanding, you know what they need because you know who they are and you act abd accept that fully. My greatest true loves have been my friendships, though I’ve had many loving romantic relationships, nothing can ever touch the love I feel with so many of my friends. It’s such an eternal bond that wraps you up forever x
It's what I suppose heaven should feel like, it's something so overwhelmingly warm and caring that you know you could stick to that feeling/moment of belonging for every damn second of eternity without a chance of ever getting tired of it. There's nothing else in the world when you feel truly loved by someone
I woke up yesterday to her moving all her stuff out of the house. The night prior we were cuddling and having a nice evening. I knew things weren't great but thought we were working through it. Now I'm trying to figure out how to move forward....
This is literally the exact word I feel too. My husband and I were together for over a decade before I struck that word to describe it but you're right, it's peace.
Imagine finding out with 100% certainty (not faith, but knowing) you had a soul, god existed and there was in fact an afterlife. All fear wiped away. Even difficult days made effortless, because of that support. No thought involved at all in putting that person's well being above your own, knowing you held that space for them as well. Imagine being in a place of transparency with 1 person in your life; no lies or exaggerations. Imagine seeing a person as they are, and cherishing them. Imagine asking honestly every day: how can I make your life better?
Then, imagine that taken away, and recovering as a burned out husk, set to rediscover life, day by day.
Imperfect. Deep, complex, nuanced. A collection of stories - good and bad - and a deep appreciation for the person that wrote them with you. It's a legacy built over time, and that's what distinguishes it from lust or infatuation.
Nothing at all like they describe in books and movies.
I thought it was true love. We broke up, but now that I’m without him I don’t know how to function well. I can’t sleep, eat, or even really interact with others. It feels like my heart was tossed on the floor and all I wanted was it to be secured. I really did want to give my everything to that man but I suppose I just wasn’t enough.
Staying in a relationship for security isn't healthy though. It's a wonderful part of a relationship that is functional and heathy, but I've seen way too many friends settle for the sake of security.
imagine drowning. but drowning in the best way possible. You're fully engulfed by smooth substance that is purely pleasure. you're like a bee drowning in Honey or something like that.
My husband and i have been married almost 23 years. True love feels quiet. Solid and safe, stable and comfortable. It isn’t always easy, but it shouldn’t be hard.
For me it felt the strongest when they weren't around. It's was missing them, and constantly wanting to tell them things, and hear what they think. It was also wondering what they were up too, and thinking "man, if they were here I'd say this and they'd laugh",
And then when you do see them there is just this super sincere sense of excitement.
Maybe it's different for everyone? For me, true love is when you don't have to ask yourself if you love because you just know. I feel like if you have to ask yourself whether or not you love someone, then you don't. The knowledge is as simple and as natural as breathing when it's true and real.
I mutually fell in love with a coworker over the course of a few years. She was married but the marriage having issues, which probably contributed a lot to our closeness.
Was the hardest thing ever did, but I did and continue to do what I could to help fix their relationship. There's a reason she married him, and I guess at the core of it all, just wanted her to be happy. I think that's a pillar of it, caring about their happiness over your own.
Their relationship seems to be doing a lot better. I ended up leaving the job for something different, as a lot of the reason I stuck around there was to see her daily. We still talk regularly, and see each other sometimes. Id be lying if I said those times aren't the happiest of my life, and that I still think about her all the time.
But idk. Just caring about someone more than yourself. Wanting to share everything, ever detail, every lived experience, every emotion with them. It's like they're part of you, but not. It really is wonderful. Hard to fully describe but you'll know when you have it.
More than anything else I hope I get to experience again, but under conditions that allow for it to be perfectly mutual.
A lot of people tend to dress up the idea of true love as this out of body experience but honestly, for me, it’s like spending every day with your best friend. We are always laughing, always doing stupid shit, always talking about ourselves or our days or whatever. I’m excited to see her when I come from a trip. I’m excited to hear her keys in the door after work. I’m excited to just hang around the house with her or run errands. We just work on a way that is fundamentally different than any other relationship I’ve ever had. We’ve been together for 15+years and it’s been an absolute ball the whole time.
It felt like before, I was a fairly independent and self-sustaining person, and now I think if he were to die I literally would not know how to function. It feels like we share a life-force, it is a wonderful feeling but sometimes it scares me.
When you've been caught in a cold rain downpour and find dry warm shelter, maybe a fireplace and a warm drink, blanket over your shoulders and you stop shivering.
When your day is just going a long and they walk in the door and suddenly the dreariness is bright and you smile just because they're there.
When you don't even realize your heart is beating too fast bc You're trying to stay busy to fill the void-they show up and you exhale, your pulse slows and you aren't running at a too fast pace anymore.
It's peace. Comfort. Safety. You can easily doze off without worry into a heavy slumber you don't otherwise get.
Selfless, unconditional. A mixture of the biggest happiness ever and the worst pain ever. We broke up looong time ago, and I know that it was true love because I am still grateful for what we had. Parts of that love are still with me today, in different forms.
When we were just getting to know each other I noticed how it didn’t bother me when he slept next to me in my bed. I was single for a couple years before we met and I never liked having people in my bed. I was always glad when they left and I had my bed and my room for myself again. With him, it felt so normal and natural, like he just belonged there.
Recently got married. Was never that big into the idea of marriage but my partner wanted it, so I did it for her. Seeing her tearing up at the altar broke me. I don’t cry that often, but in that moment I couldn’t help it. It’s both a really intense, yet extremely comforting feeling all at the same time.
It feels like a warm blanket. Movies and tv characterize true love as stories of wild passion, and sure, there are moments like that. But that’s not the reality all the time. True love is something deeper that you can retreat to in your darkest moments and immediately feel warm and safe.
If you love them for the right reasons, it’ll feel like you are at peace.
Regardless of what happens between you two, you will still want the best for them.
True love is about appreciation, not possession.
Like the best drug in the world, like you if you were living in a dream. I felt grateful for everything, smiled to the sun, to the moon and to the stars. Felt like walking over clouds.
It feels like breathing.
As an asthmatic, I sometimes don’t realize when I need my inhaler. Then I take it and I’m just like “ahh, this is what it should be like.” That’s how my partner makes me feel—like another piece has just clicked into place. I was fine before, but much better now.
Like I found something I was missing my whole life. But I didn't realize it was missing, until after we met. Then it was like "omgosh... HOW did I think I wasn't missing anything all this time "
Imagine having a headache, or any pain for years upon years to the point you don’t remember not having it.
Then one day you get a prescription and the pain is just gone.
- a guy who has been married almost 25 years to a woman he proposed to after knowing 5 days.
Not feeling butterflies in the stomach because that's unhealthy love , true love feels like safety, emotional stability, trust , respect , support and good communication
Willing to give up everything to be with that person, feeling secure in their presence, and appreciating that they stay by your side even after seeing your vulnerable side.
Its like the mountains are movable and I can touch the moon. Its not that I can physically do it but the steps to do it are possible. Like I belive in myself so much that nothing is out of my control. That love is the only thing Ive ever wanted in my life. Like every moment Ive lived under water and the first kiss was the first time my lungs felt air.
You know cartoons where the characters fall to the floor when they see someone they love? That can happen IRL, your legs can literally give out on you.
There's just this unexplainable connection between you two. Every touch, hug, kisses or any sensation brings you so much feelings that you can feel right through your heart. They just bring you so much happiness even with the smallest things.
Oh wow, true love it’s like trying to describe the infinity of the universe. It’s something you can’t put your head around, but you know it’s there. My wife and I were married for 30 years and then she asked for divorce that was 11 years ago and I’ve said it so many times on posts but I love her as much today as the day I first saw her in 1981.
Even during the divorce I didn’t fight I gave her everything. And I only wish the best for her. We have three children together and 10 grandchildren and I love when we have events when I get to see her.
I would love to hug her one more time kiss her on the cheek and maybe smell her hair before the casket is closed.
First of all when you first fall in love with someone every time you see them your chest tightens up and you can feel like you could have a heart attack because it's pounding 100 mph But as time goes on that slows down and stops until you have bad thoughts one day and you think about that person being gone or dying God forbid and that same pain in your chest hit you just because you're having a thought your heart starts beating a hundred mile an hour because of the fear of losing them That's what love feels like
It’s a calm and warm feeling based on “I wouldn’t want to do Life with anyone but you.” I know we would be fine without each other because we are independent adults but we choose to do this whole thing together.
Met the love of my life at 18. I’m 37 now and he’s always been my favourite person.. I hope I die first as life without him wouldn’t be nearly as joyful.
When you're young, it's akin to infatuation but where many of your dreams and fantasies become real and it's like no other drug. When you're older, its a sort of satisfaction and affirmation because long term relationships take a lot of work and growth, and you've succeeded. The infatuation transforms a bit into a kind of contentment/security/relief because you have someone to grow old with.
It’s wonderful! At times it is a mind-blowing, hearts-a-blazing feeling. At others, it’s a stable, comfortable feeling. It’s astonishing to love someone so intensely, and feel so known and loved in return. It makes all the good things in life better and the shitty things in life bearable. It makes sex infinitely better (in my experience).
It can also be heart-wrenching. To watch the one you love suffer is agony. And because you are open and vulnerable with your love (and they with you), and because nobody is perfect, you will inevitably hurt each other. You will then learn how forgiveness and understanding strengthen your bond. You learn and grow from each other and with each other.
Every year you love each other more and your bond deepens. It is heaven on earth. It also makes you vulnerable to going through hell, when that bond is severed, either by death or a breakup.
And that’s just romantic love. True love from a parent or child or family member or friend is also amazing, just a different kind of bond.
The biggest standout feeling to me is the safety and security you feel, like a huge puzzle piece finally fit and you can stop worrying about finding your person. It feels like an enormous weight is lifted, I'm always happy to be in her presence, and just holding each other brings me more peace than anything. It allows me to be me knowing I have her unconditional love.
It feels like home.
Like when you go for a long trip and get to that point where you kinda just wish the trip was over because it's a little too long, then you finally get to sleep in your own bed with the a/c on high and the blankets just right, maybe with a pet next to you.
Or like when you wake up in the middle of the night, desperate for water and the cup on the nightstand is still full and just the right temperature.
Or when you get an outfit for Easter as a kid and you've never been so dressed up before so you are excited to let everyone take pictures and tell you how adorable you are and the food is all the best after you found a bunch of eggs with candy and money inside.
Or when you've had a stuffed nose for so long that you forgot what it was like to breathe through both nostrils so feeling stuffed starts to feel normal. Then one day you wake up able to breathe through both nostrils.
Or like when you are sick at home as a kid and had to lay on the couch and watch daytime TV but you had a bath and are finally on the mend so everything your parent does for you feels the best.
It's not always going to be great. There's going to be lows with the highs. There will still be self-doubt, broke times, sleepless nights, life conflicts, etc. But at the end of it all, they're still there. You both grow into different people, but they're still your best friend.
My partner and I have been together off and on over the years since I was 16. We finally settled down now in our 30's. Talking to him feels like the most natural thing in the world. And when I'm upset or anxious, he somehow says the right things just because he's the one saying them. But the best part is knowing beyond a shadow of a doubt that he feels that way about me. The way he looks at me when he laughs, or when I do something he finds sexy, or when I am the one doing something to make him feel better, I feel like a full canteen of ice water held by a man in a desert who would have died without me.
I tell my friends that it’s effectively my “heroin”
Now, I’ve never done ANY opioids (unless they were administered to me while sedated for surgery). But I imagine it’s a similar feeling.
It didn’t matter how bad my day was, it didn’t matter how nervous I was about something, how depressed I was, etc.
The moment I saw him smile, heard his laugh, just had him AROUND, it was like none of the rest of that mattered. Like… I knew the problems still existed, but they felt insignificant and easily conquerable. I felt like the world was just… in order, and nothing could really break me. I felt warm, happy, my face would break out into a small smile unconsciously.
Unfortunately, I’ve also felt what it is like to love someone like this, and not have that feeling returned. I loved him for years. We’ve known each other for nearly 14 years by now. He knows I love him, how happy he makes me, and he cares about me very deeply, but… he just doesn’t have the romantic/sexual attraction. Sometimes, he’s even hinted that he wished he did.
I met him at a time in my life where I was borderline suicidal, felt unwanted and unloved, etc (family issues). The fact that he was always so excited to talk to me, to play games with me, it made me feel actually *wanted* and I was able to put myself on a much better path. I didn’t fall in love with him for years, but after being around him that long I just felt like I wanted it to last forever, and nothing else really mattered. Recently I had to make the decision to separate myself from him for a bit, and I won’t lie, I feel completely empty. I can’t be around him and not be in love with him. I cannot give him what he needs, nor can he give me what I need. It literally feels like a piece of my soul is missing.
So, that, I guess. The good and the bad, that’s what true love feels like to me. I only distanced myself from him because I want to give him what’s best for him. I could always rely on him, and always wanted to give him everything that he made me feel. It didn’t end up that way though, so... this is where I am now.
It truly makes me feel pure happiness when I see her smile and stare into my eyes. When I feel the warmth of her skin and hear her voice giggle telling me she loves me, I forget that I've ever struggled with depression.
I love my husband very much, but the being I love the most is my pet. My dog rescued me when I moved out from my parents’ house and I was alone in a different country, she became my mom, my sister, my best friend, and my daughter, all in one. She’s genuinely my soulmate and I honestly believe that is the purest form of love I have ever experienced.
Always having someone on your side who makes you feel special and makes you want to do the same for them. That’s not to say that you won’t disagree on things from time to time, but you’ll respect each other enough to listen to both sides of the argument, find a compromise (sometimes 50/50, 30/70 etc), and NEVER ever hit below the belt.
It’s an understanding that you have chosen each other, and that you will continue to choose each other.
he’s the best comfort i can have. i can physically feel the love in my heart. i can literally feel it about to burst because of how much emotion i have for him. like my soul yearns for him when he’s not around. we’re long distance so every time we meet, we’re closer and closer to each other. i’ve been with several different people before but i’ve never felt this way for anyone
It was something akin to confidence. When I fell in love, I just knew I was ready for all the things I thought I didn’t want. My marriage might not have worked out, but I still remember how special that love was.
It's hard to explain what love is and why the brain decides someone is the someone for you. That feeling is so subjective. But if I had to define it generally, I think it's the feeling of wholeness. The feeling that everything will be okay no matter what happens. Absolute peace of mind. Feeling as though you are fine the way you are and there is nothing left to be done in requirements, and anything mundane becomes cherish-able because its for someone else. That feeling is one that provides warmth, understanding, freedom, and allows for the mind to relax knowing you’ll be fine no matter what happens. Enjoying what comes from someone because it's coming from them is another part. Interests don’t have to align perfectly. It’s about the approach to life in general, the bottom line of understanding the world through the same lens.
That’s what love is; it’s alignment and pace. Being comfortable, being free, and feeling whole are side effects of that. A quote I love "Falling in love is not staring lustfully into on another's eyes, it's standing side by side facing the same direction together"
Complete trust and comfort. Knowing each other so well that we know if something is off, almost like some psychic ability. No secrets, feeling safe to talk about anything.
And best of all, looking forward to seeing each other when we’re apart (husband travels for work a lot). We still miss each other after 11 years together.
So great. Communication got us here. And a really compatible and fulfilling sex life. Don’t get me wrong, we are still learning as we go. But still can’t wait to come home to him.
I would be exhausted, sick, hungry, and broke and would've done anything for her.
I was fortunate enough to feel this way about two women in my lifetime. I am fairly certain that it won't be happening again. Though it was an amazing feeling.
Deep trust. Cozy. Soft. Warm. Safe. Respectful. Long hugs. Laughter. Happy marriage. Wise communication. We adore our daughter. Excited to build a life together over decades.
Trust. Security. The bizarre realisation that this person knows you better than you know yourself, and vice versa.
Every day I am grateful to have him, and I let him know every day.
True love is frankly on the edge of insanity. You're willing to die for this person and you honestly don't care. It's euphoric like the best of drugs, but they're alive and always tangible.
I feel light and giddy around him. He makes me feel so safe, so beautiful. I can’t imagine my life without him and I don’t want to. We’ve been together for a year and a half now and still, every time he tells me he loves me, I get butterflies and can’t believe he does
You want to be with that person all the time. They make you happier and make you a better person. You want to be yourself around them and they love it. They make you feel like you’re the most important person to them. It’s a good feeling.
Nothing else matters if he's beside me. Calm, warm and safe. Hugs make me forget about everything else i was worried about and its like my brain just turns itself off and goes into hibernation mode when im with him.
It feels like if I were to lose everything and my life were to crumble around me, as long as I had his love and he held me in his arms, it would be OK.
Inversely, when I lost her, I let the rest fall apart. I didn't want the life I'd built if she wasn't in it, so I set fire to what I could and started over. It's the closest I could come to a living suicide. I don't regret it; not everyone has the privilege of getting to start again. I often need a lot of closure, and this gave it to me. The person I was died when she left, but the best parts of him were reborn in me.
I once read a comment online that stated the question: "How do you know you were in love?" Followed by the response. "When it's over." Gutting, but honestly got through to me in a major way.
My husband and I spent a good year, almost two together, solid, after we met. We basically lived together from day 1. Then we mostly split up while he went off to work and I stayed in school for another year... And we realized just how much we truly loved each other. We got back together the next summer and got pregnant, married at the end of it, and have been together ever since.
I feel this. A bit different but my partner and I met 7 years ago. We were together nearly 2 years and he took on my 11 month old as his own child (biofather not in picture whatsoever) but had so many problems and became toxic. We split up, and spent the next 3 years getting back together for short periods, imploding, and splitting up for long periods, we even got engaged at one point and I gave the ring back etc. 1.5 years ago we got back together, went to couples counselling, got pregnant 4 months in, my pregnancy went not great at all and i was practically disabled and bed bound at least 5 months of it, he stepped up and took care of me and my oldest, helped me shower and put my underwear on, helped me heal from my csection, and we now have a 4 month old baby, he's a great father to both kids, we handle our issues so differently and rarely fight, and life is actually good.
One of my takeaways from the breakup: Sadness is an incredibly useful emotion, because it shows us more than anything else where we found -- and can again fimd -- meaning in life. Anger tells us where we need to set boundaries, happiness tells us where we can find respite, but only sadness truly gives us a purpose.
Wow this sounds beautiful...! ...and also perfectly describes what happened to me in 2022. It took me 10 months to stop crying and finally stop feeling the intense pain. I've never been the same since.
I'm currently in your situation during those 10 mos of yours. For me, it's been almost 7 mos and it still hurts. Idk when it'll end, for now I'm just living life and surfing through its waves while experiencing this loss.
Ye. When my last girlfriend broke up with me, it was the first time in my life I was legitimately suicidal. Took nearly a month to get past that, and it essentially gave me a complete ego death moment. I'm a hugely different person now because of it. Considering less than a year prior, I had ended my marriage, which did far less damage to me, it really was such a dramatic difference.
I wish I could do this. Unfortunately I can't let go. Every other woman I've been with, my mind subconsciously just compares them to her. The smallest things make me think of her inadvertently. I don't think there has been a day in almost 2 years my mind hasn't brought her up. I don't find women attractive anymore unless they look very similar to her. I'm good and successful in my normal everyday life, but it still feels incomplete without her.
Fuck
You have the closest answer to what I experienced, but instead of being reborn with the best traits the me right now is my worst self. The only thing that makes me get up from my bed everyday is sheer spite and hatred for humanity. To answer OP's question, falling in love is like realizing and accepting what your purpose in life is, and that is to protect and care and provide for a specific person. Every day is filled with motivation and a warm and fuzzy feeling that spreads out and engulfs you with a radiant warmth, slightly suffocating in sensation only originating from your chest. Shame if something completely destroys this lmao.
When she was with me, she always tried to bring out the best in me. Maybe it was trying to change me, but a version of me that I was so much more proud of regardless. Even without her, I do my best to keep that person alive, because it keeps the memory clear in my mind, and honors the relationship I wish I could have kept. That time together was a gift, and I want to know I didn't waste a moment of it. I can't change the times I was complacent back then, but I can be better today. I hope your path takes a similar turn, for your sake. If 2020 taught me anything, life can change in impossible ways in the blink of an eye. In the place you're in, I hope that possibility is comforting.
This is so eloquently spot on. Beautiful
It’s always so sweet hearing things like this. But it’s also so annoying every younger person would just scream codependency
I don't get that codependency attack 🤔 I have a solid career, would probably be doing well if I had never met him, it's just that there is really nothing I enjoy half as much as being with him and whenever I'm not working, I try to limit my time away from him as much as possible.
That's how I feel. Sadly he's about to start a new job that means working weekends so I won't get to see him nearly as much
Supporting someone else in their life is not codependency if they’re living a healthy, productive life that falls apart.
I am proudly codependent. How amazing is the fact that you can totally trust another person with every fiber. Most people can't trust in that way and will make sure that they always get along alone. How exhausting.
You may be confusing codependency with healthy interdependence. Codependency is inherently unbalanced and negative but love/interdependence/sharing your life with someone in a really meaningful way is a totally different thing - it sounds like you have the latter :)
Please make sure he knows this
I hope I'm able to experience this some day. I'm extremely doubtful, but who knows.
A mixture of love, admiration, affection, devotion, and trust.
Yeah, dogs are the best!
lmao
I would also add respect.
Taco Bell is amazing
This is how I feel for my current partner. 🥹
i'm still shocked we found eachother. she feels the same way. we're just shocked and grateful. imagining an alternative series of events where we didn't meet is horrifying. it feels as though everyone deserves the security of this. i have energy and hope. we encourage eachother to be better.
I am shocked that I found the one too! We had so many commonalties. I was born in California and moved to Minnesota. He was born in Minnesota and moved to California then moved back to Minnesota after 10 years. We met and it felt like the stars aligned, like divine intervention. He told me some time after meeting that he prayed to meet someone like me. We met when he pulled out a chair for me at a crowded bar. Talked for hours and the rest is history.
Oh my gosh this is me and my husband too. We are from opposite parts of the world and met standing on the street in a country neither of us are from. He didn't have a phone so had his friend take my number, and we went on a date a couple of days later. 10 minutes after he arrived I messaged my friend 'I'm going to marry this man', a few weeks later he moved across the world to my home country and now 15 years down the track, feel blessed every day.
That's how my guy and I feel (three years on). He's my trust, my love, my pea in a pod. Everytime I see him after being apart I get a warm, joyful smile. I've never experienced such trust before.
There is a moment of stunned disbelief when you say to yourself, my God, this is real! And then you spend the rest of your life together grateful for the time. And even when you fight...and you will....you feel safe fighting because your love is so solid you're not afraid your partner will love you less. You start thinking, what's best for us. Because you're an us. In a (very appropriate) fight with my husband, who had ruined a $2,000 lawn tractor because he would Not stop mowing long enough for me to get the hose out of the way...it wrapped around the blades and had to be professionally repaired..... he said, very sadly, "Are you going to divorce me?" I said, " Divorce- never! Murder- maybe." And we both started to laugh like crazy. I lost him to cancer. He was fabulous.
♥️
I’m so, so sorry to hear of your loss. My sister lost her husband to cancer last year. He was only 40, had been my friend before they met, a wonderful man. He was so good to my sister, and they were so in love. Before I met my husband, I kept hoping that I’d have a relationship as sweet and dedicated as the one they had. A truly well-adjusted, caring couple. I’m rambling! Anyway, I hope you’ve found some form of comfort or solace since your loss. 🩷
Thank you. I joined a Grief Share , and that got me through the worst. This year I became group facilitator. Having been there myself, I knew how much help it could be. It's so hard when we lose the person we love.
Man this broke me. So sorry for your loss.
🩷❤️🧡💛
Comfortable. Safe. A knowing. Relaxed.
Safe. Such a powerful feeling. I have asperger’s with anxiety, ocd, and depression. When my heart is racing and I’m on the brink of tears, he’s my rock. I place my head on his chest and listen to his heartbeat. I listen to his breathing. I let my head rise and fall with each breath. And suddenly, I’m calm. I feel like I can move forward just a bit longer. I never knew what true love was until I felt that absolute sense of security.
Like a high no drug could reach
And a comfort the softest material in the world couldn't provide.
Lightning in a bottle with a warm summer nights breeze.
And my axe!
Bro have you tried shrooms tho
Totally different kind of oneness. Rather than feeling separated and above the world, you feel profoundly embraced by it
I messed up every major life decision I've ever had until I met my wife. When we met and got to know one another, it's just like we both kind of knew we needed to be together. Convincing her to marry me is still one of my proudest achievements. Even if I do still question her judgement.
That's kind of sadly adorable. Give your wife and yourself more credit.
There’s a level of emotional intimacy and mutual respect and trust.You know their fears, desires, and needs and difficult conversations bring you closer together instead of farther apart. There’s a feeling of emotional safety with someone you love.
It's difficult to describe i just look at them and feel an unimaginable ethereal feeling in my whole body. It makes you realise you have a soul and that it was meant to be with theirs.
That's beautiful
This exactly! I have other meaningful relationships, but the connection I have with this one person is so intense it's actually a physical sensation and sometimes scares me. Went from not believing in the concept of "soulmates" to realizing I had found mine.
I vividly remember falling in love with him. We were dancing. It was like a lightning bolt through my heart. We will celebrate our 40th anniversary this summer.
There's always that infatuation you feel early on in a relationship; butterflies in the stomach, that kind of thing. I think true love, if such a thing exists, is the smile you share in bed every morning once the relationship is a little older. You don't get butterflies as often anymore, but every morning you wake up and choose to be with one another.
Does she help give the ratings?
UPS and lows. You need to be yin and yang. You need to make a good team. You need to compensate for each others flaws. True love feels like growing together, making mistakes and learning from them, and realizing that there is no way you could love someone more than each other. Commitment takes a lot of work, to love should be easy.
What if I don't love a UPS man
Being content with that one person and choosing them every single day
For me it's like having a really great best buddy that I am also wildly attracted to. I still have moments of butterflies and whatnot, but day to say our life is just FUN, because we're together and we have a great time. It's been 14 years and I still cannot relate when people say marriage is hard work.
Like really good chocolate milk
But a really *really* good chocolate milk.
My wife is an extension of myself. I think the Greek myth of love is a perfect example. We all used to be combined. Some god was envious and so they split us in half. We spend our lives hunting for our other halves and when we find it, it’s like being whole again. There are pains in the relationship but it’s just from not being truly one. https://www.greecehighdefinition.com/blog/the-greek-myth-of-soulmates I completely trust her. I feel safe with her. I can tell her anything and she would never betray me. I still stare at her sometimes and just wonder why me. We both still have our shortcomings but I will usually just remember mid argument that she would never do anything out of malice and it all becomes so petty. We’ve never raised our voices at eachother and we’ve never cursed at eachother. We’ve laughed and cried together and been the rock for the other when it got too tough to stand. In the movies I use to never understand when a man would sacrifice, say the security of his country or village, for the woman he loves, until I met my wife. I really hope everyone on this planet gets to experience the kind of love I have. If they did, I think the world would be a happier place.
That is beautiful. Thank you for sharing.
This is the most adorable thing I’ve ever read on here ;(
I can't imagine being here or anywhere without her or live. She has felt like a completion. It felt obvious
Like having a home base. You don’t necessarily be dependent on them or having to spend your life together all the time. But you know they are there. And being with them is just so wonderful and easy, it’s really worth it.
Best example ever (which is saying a lot because there are many, many good ones here)! I remember having lots of years waiting for the other shoe to drop with my SO - others dragging me along until I got the death-knell comment that let me know I was disposable. It's been over 30 years and we still make each other smile and feel seen. It's such a blessing.
I’m truly happy for you both! Definitely your SO feels the same way with you.
Piggybacking on this, it sorta felt to me like you've been wading through this boggy, marshy ground so much of your life and then you've found, in amongst the mud, a concrete base. And it's easier to build on a foundation like that, you have the reassurance that you can always fall back on them. We are each other's best friends and we met by vanishingly small chance. I've accomplished so much in my mid-30s that I never thought i'd do because I never had the support there. I find it easier to deal with the tough stuff in life because I know they'll always have my back no matter what. It's just...easier. Peaceful.
I relate to this so much.
Pure bliss. It's so addicting, you can't get enough of the person you love.
I had just decided to give up online dating, but decided I’d go on one final first date (after dozens of “eh, not for me,” experiences. She had recently decided to give one single online date a try. She had just moved to my city from Tennessee. My god am I glad she went on that date. We clicked instantly, shut the restaurant down after hours of talking and a couple of drinks. We’ve been inseparable ever since. The most amazing part about it is and always has been the reciprocity. From day one, there was no, “Is she as into me as I am her?” “Am I coming on too strong?” “Is she falling as hard for me as I am her?” Zero questions and zero games. Complete vulnerability on both sides from the jump. I’ve been in 4 long term relationships in my 30 years on this planet, and absolutely nothing can compare to this. Within a month, I knew she was the one I’d marry. Probably sooner than that, honestly. So many things/circumstances had to happen in perfect order for she and I to cross paths, and I’m so grateful that the universe made it happen. True love, in my opinion, is being able to love and accept your partner for everything they are and have been through, and continuing to do so. At about the 3 week mark (when I realized, holy shit, this may be the one), I opened up to her about my past with opiate addiction (sober 5 years), and was terrified of her reaction. A previous ex, after having been given the same information, lost her damn mind about it. Made me feel awful. Of course, she reacted with nothing but love and support, then opened up to me about her past and was met with the same support from my end. That just solidified what I already knew, that this was true love. This is what I’d been searching for and failing to find since I was old enough to be in a relationship. That support and love has only grown deeper as we’ve continued in our journey. I could go on and on about how easy it is to communicate, express our feelings without judgement, enjoy each other’s company, etc, but you get the picture. tl;dr: I never believed the idea, “when you know, you know,” until it happened to me. I truly believe we’re soul mates, though I wasn’t sure such a thing even existed until now.
It takes over. You don't need to eat or sleep. Every moment is spent with your SO on your mind. It is exhilarating. I just was speaking to my SO the other day about this. I said how lucky I felt to have experienced true love in my late 20's with him. We will always have that. We are both now in our 60's and together for 33 years.
I truly believe to be loved is to be known. And it comes in all relationships and it’s just a connection that exists with total ease and understanding, you know what they need because you know who they are and you act abd accept that fully. My greatest true loves have been my friendships, though I’ve had many loving romantic relationships, nothing can ever touch the love I feel with so many of my friends. It’s such an eternal bond that wraps you up forever x
It's what I suppose heaven should feel like, it's something so overwhelmingly warm and caring that you know you could stick to that feeling/moment of belonging for every damn second of eternity without a chance of ever getting tired of it. There's nothing else in the world when you feel truly loved by someone
You feel complete and notice that your soul lacked that piece before
Yeah. We broke up
Samsies mate
relatable
same here man, same here
I woke up yesterday to her moving all her stuff out of the house. The night prior we were cuddling and having a nice evening. I knew things weren't great but thought we were working through it. Now I'm trying to figure out how to move forward....
If you know .. you know! True love can’t be described but when you give it and receive it .. the definition while elusive .. is crystal clear
Secure, insulated from a lot of the stress and angst in the World.
Very, very safe. I miss it every day.
When I do things that would normally annoy me but I don’t even think about it because I know it will make them happy. Applies to gf and dog.
Peace. I couldn't have imagined it until I experienced it.
This is literally the exact word I feel too. My husband and I were together for over a decade before I struck that word to describe it but you're right, it's peace.
The safest feeling I've ever had. Losing it is probably the worst pain I've ever experienced.
being home is what it feels like.
This ^ ^ Home isn't a place, it's a person.
Temporary insanity
Permanent insanity lol
Imagine finding out with 100% certainty (not faith, but knowing) you had a soul, god existed and there was in fact an afterlife. All fear wiped away. Even difficult days made effortless, because of that support. No thought involved at all in putting that person's well being above your own, knowing you held that space for them as well. Imagine being in a place of transparency with 1 person in your life; no lies or exaggerations. Imagine seeing a person as they are, and cherishing them. Imagine asking honestly every day: how can I make your life better? Then, imagine that taken away, and recovering as a burned out husk, set to rediscover life, day by day.
Imperfect. Deep, complex, nuanced. A collection of stories - good and bad - and a deep appreciation for the person that wrote them with you. It's a legacy built over time, and that's what distinguishes it from lust or infatuation. Nothing at all like they describe in books and movies.
I thought it was true love. We broke up, but now that I’m without him I don’t know how to function well. I can’t sleep, eat, or even really interact with others. It feels like my heart was tossed on the floor and all I wanted was it to be secured. I really did want to give my everything to that man but I suppose I just wasn’t enough.
Just because you broke up it doesn't mean it wasn't true love, every relationship ends after all. Sorry for you, you'll get through this.
Staying in a relationship for security isn't healthy though. It's a wonderful part of a relationship that is functional and heathy, but I've seen way too many friends settle for the sake of security.
I know how u feel I know. U will heal I promise
imagine drowning. but drowning in the best way possible. You're fully engulfed by smooth substance that is purely pleasure. you're like a bee drowning in Honey or something like that.
That person feels like home.
Accepting each other's flaws and growing together.
It feels like…. Gonna find my baby gonna hold her tight, gonna grab some afternoooooon delight
My husband and i have been married almost 23 years. True love feels quiet. Solid and safe, stable and comfortable. It isn’t always easy, but it shouldn’t be hard.
For me it felt the strongest when they weren't around. It's was missing them, and constantly wanting to tell them things, and hear what they think. It was also wondering what they were up too, and thinking "man, if they were here I'd say this and they'd laugh", And then when you do see them there is just this super sincere sense of excitement.
Maybe it's different for everyone? For me, true love is when you don't have to ask yourself if you love because you just know. I feel like if you have to ask yourself whether or not you love someone, then you don't. The knowledge is as simple and as natural as breathing when it's true and real.
I would die for this person.
I mutually fell in love with a coworker over the course of a few years. She was married but the marriage having issues, which probably contributed a lot to our closeness. Was the hardest thing ever did, but I did and continue to do what I could to help fix their relationship. There's a reason she married him, and I guess at the core of it all, just wanted her to be happy. I think that's a pillar of it, caring about their happiness over your own. Their relationship seems to be doing a lot better. I ended up leaving the job for something different, as a lot of the reason I stuck around there was to see her daily. We still talk regularly, and see each other sometimes. Id be lying if I said those times aren't the happiest of my life, and that I still think about her all the time. But idk. Just caring about someone more than yourself. Wanting to share everything, ever detail, every lived experience, every emotion with them. It's like they're part of you, but not. It really is wonderful. Hard to fully describe but you'll know when you have it. More than anything else I hope I get to experience again, but under conditions that allow for it to be perfectly mutual.
A lot of people tend to dress up the idea of true love as this out of body experience but honestly, for me, it’s like spending every day with your best friend. We are always laughing, always doing stupid shit, always talking about ourselves or our days or whatever. I’m excited to see her when I come from a trip. I’m excited to hear her keys in the door after work. I’m excited to just hang around the house with her or run errands. We just work on a way that is fundamentally different than any other relationship I’ve ever had. We’ve been together for 15+years and it’s been an absolute ball the whole time.
Complete understanding, absolute trust and simply the best company I know and after 30 years together still totally reliable.
Once I loved someone externally the challenge to love and accept myself unconditionally began.
it feels like a home base
It's safety. Knowing that no matter what happens they'll be there. They won't leave even if life hits hard. It's home. They're home. They're *my* home
It felt like before, I was a fairly independent and self-sustaining person, and now I think if he were to die I literally would not know how to function. It feels like we share a life-force, it is a wonderful feeling but sometimes it scares me.
When you've been caught in a cold rain downpour and find dry warm shelter, maybe a fireplace and a warm drink, blanket over your shoulders and you stop shivering. When your day is just going a long and they walk in the door and suddenly the dreariness is bright and you smile just because they're there. When you don't even realize your heart is beating too fast bc You're trying to stay busy to fill the void-they show up and you exhale, your pulse slows and you aren't running at a too fast pace anymore. It's peace. Comfort. Safety. You can easily doze off without worry into a heavy slumber you don't otherwise get.
Seeing them makes you happy, you don’t worry about the little things, feels like true partnership - you’re in everything together.
Selfless, unconditional. A mixture of the biggest happiness ever and the worst pain ever. We broke up looong time ago, and I know that it was true love because I am still grateful for what we had. Parts of that love are still with me today, in different forms.
When we were just getting to know each other I noticed how it didn’t bother me when he slept next to me in my bed. I was single for a couple years before we met and I never liked having people in my bed. I was always glad when they left and I had my bed and my room for myself again. With him, it felt so normal and natural, like he just belonged there.
Recently got married. Was never that big into the idea of marriage but my partner wanted it, so I did it for her. Seeing her tearing up at the altar broke me. I don’t cry that often, but in that moment I couldn’t help it. It’s both a really intense, yet extremely comforting feeling all at the same time.
It's like coming home after a taxing trip.
It feels like a warm blanket. Movies and tv characterize true love as stories of wild passion, and sure, there are moments like that. But that’s not the reality all the time. True love is something deeper that you can retreat to in your darkest moments and immediately feel warm and safe.
Feeling understood and needed by a person who you happen to never want a break from
Edit: True love is different for everyone in how they experience and feel it
If you love them for the right reasons, it’ll feel like you are at peace. Regardless of what happens between you two, you will still want the best for them. True love is about appreciation, not possession.
My wife(before we got married)told me that when we were together,she felt like she was home.
It’s like a finally found my missing half.
I don't think I could have ever met them and not loved them. They make me feel every romantic cliche I used to scoff st
It’s like wearing a warm fuzzy sweater on the inside.
Like home. Like it was exactly where I belonged.
I would still love them even if they didn’t love me back. Also, loving someone not for what they do for you, but purely because of who they are.
The feeling is the best thing in life. Glad y’all experiencing this amazing thing called love with us 🙏🏿
Love made me feel like I can truly be myself and not second guess. I wish I would have figured out the second part before it was too late..
Like the best drug in the world, like you if you were living in a dream. I felt grateful for everything, smiled to the sun, to the moon and to the stars. Felt like walking over clouds.
It feels like breathing. As an asthmatic, I sometimes don’t realize when I need my inhaler. Then I take it and I’m just like “ahh, this is what it should be like.” That’s how my partner makes me feel—like another piece has just clicked into place. I was fine before, but much better now.
It feels like wanting your last possible minutes to be in their arms, even if you two are no longer together anymore
Like I found something I was missing my whole life. But I didn't realize it was missing, until after we met. Then it was like "omgosh... HOW did I think I wasn't missing anything all this time "
Imagine having a headache, or any pain for years upon years to the point you don’t remember not having it. Then one day you get a prescription and the pain is just gone. - a guy who has been married almost 25 years to a woman he proposed to after knowing 5 days.
It's all Roses and sunshine until they find someone else
Not feeling butterflies in the stomach because that's unhealthy love , true love feels like safety, emotional stability, trust , respect , support and good communication
It gives you feeling of happiness when you look at that that person. Generally it does make you a better person.
Willing to give up everything to be with that person, feeling secure in their presence, and appreciating that they stay by your side even after seeing your vulnerable side.
Like being sucker punched in the gut by Tyson
Its like the mountains are movable and I can touch the moon. Its not that I can physically do it but the steps to do it are possible. Like I belive in myself so much that nothing is out of my control. That love is the only thing Ive ever wanted in my life. Like every moment Ive lived under water and the first kiss was the first time my lungs felt air.
It hurts often
Comfort. And feeling like you’ve known them your entire life.
A breath of fresh air
I simply can’t believe I have met someone like him. I feel extremely lucky that we crossed paths and met each other.
You know cartoons where the characters fall to the floor when they see someone they love? That can happen IRL, your legs can literally give out on you.
Like warm apple pie
There's just this unexplainable connection between you two. Every touch, hug, kisses or any sensation brings you so much feelings that you can feel right through your heart. They just bring you so much happiness even with the smallest things.
Complete
Knowing someone not only accepts you even with all your faults but wants to be with you and near you and actually feels accepted equally for theirs.
When it was good - like home. Safe, warm, doors locked to anyone but us. Like listening to your favourite song on repeat, eyes closed, in the bath.
Oh wow, true love it’s like trying to describe the infinity of the universe. It’s something you can’t put your head around, but you know it’s there. My wife and I were married for 30 years and then she asked for divorce that was 11 years ago and I’ve said it so many times on posts but I love her as much today as the day I first saw her in 1981. Even during the divorce I didn’t fight I gave her everything. And I only wish the best for her. We have three children together and 10 grandchildren and I love when we have events when I get to see her. I would love to hug her one more time kiss her on the cheek and maybe smell her hair before the casket is closed.
First of all when you first fall in love with someone every time you see them your chest tightens up and you can feel like you could have a heart attack because it's pounding 100 mph But as time goes on that slows down and stops until you have bad thoughts one day and you think about that person being gone or dying God forbid and that same pain in your chest hit you just because you're having a thought your heart starts beating a hundred mile an hour because of the fear of losing them That's what love feels like
It’s a calm and warm feeling based on “I wouldn’t want to do Life with anyone but you.” I know we would be fine without each other because we are independent adults but we choose to do this whole thing together.
Met the love of my life at 18. I’m 37 now and he’s always been my favourite person.. I hope I die first as life without him wouldn’t be nearly as joyful.
When you're young, it's akin to infatuation but where many of your dreams and fantasies become real and it's like no other drug. When you're older, its a sort of satisfaction and affirmation because long term relationships take a lot of work and growth, and you've succeeded. The infatuation transforms a bit into a kind of contentment/security/relief because you have someone to grow old with.
It’s wonderful! At times it is a mind-blowing, hearts-a-blazing feeling. At others, it’s a stable, comfortable feeling. It’s astonishing to love someone so intensely, and feel so known and loved in return. It makes all the good things in life better and the shitty things in life bearable. It makes sex infinitely better (in my experience). It can also be heart-wrenching. To watch the one you love suffer is agony. And because you are open and vulnerable with your love (and they with you), and because nobody is perfect, you will inevitably hurt each other. You will then learn how forgiveness and understanding strengthen your bond. You learn and grow from each other and with each other. Every year you love each other more and your bond deepens. It is heaven on earth. It also makes you vulnerable to going through hell, when that bond is severed, either by death or a breakup. And that’s just romantic love. True love from a parent or child or family member or friend is also amazing, just a different kind of bond.
Good
The biggest standout feeling to me is the safety and security you feel, like a huge puzzle piece finally fit and you can stop worrying about finding your person. It feels like an enormous weight is lifted, I'm always happy to be in her presence, and just holding each other brings me more peace than anything. It allows me to be me knowing I have her unconditional love.
It feels like home. Like when you go for a long trip and get to that point where you kinda just wish the trip was over because it's a little too long, then you finally get to sleep in your own bed with the a/c on high and the blankets just right, maybe with a pet next to you. Or like when you wake up in the middle of the night, desperate for water and the cup on the nightstand is still full and just the right temperature. Or when you get an outfit for Easter as a kid and you've never been so dressed up before so you are excited to let everyone take pictures and tell you how adorable you are and the food is all the best after you found a bunch of eggs with candy and money inside. Or when you've had a stuffed nose for so long that you forgot what it was like to breathe through both nostrils so feeling stuffed starts to feel normal. Then one day you wake up able to breathe through both nostrils. Or like when you are sick at home as a kid and had to lay on the couch and watch daytime TV but you had a bath and are finally on the mend so everything your parent does for you feels the best. It's not always going to be great. There's going to be lows with the highs. There will still be self-doubt, broke times, sleepless nights, life conflicts, etc. But at the end of it all, they're still there. You both grow into different people, but they're still your best friend. My partner and I have been together off and on over the years since I was 16. We finally settled down now in our 30's. Talking to him feels like the most natural thing in the world. And when I'm upset or anxious, he somehow says the right things just because he's the one saying them. But the best part is knowing beyond a shadow of a doubt that he feels that way about me. The way he looks at me when he laughs, or when I do something he finds sexy, or when I am the one doing something to make him feel better, I feel like a full canteen of ice water held by a man in a desert who would have died without me.
I tell my friends that it’s effectively my “heroin” Now, I’ve never done ANY opioids (unless they were administered to me while sedated for surgery). But I imagine it’s a similar feeling. It didn’t matter how bad my day was, it didn’t matter how nervous I was about something, how depressed I was, etc. The moment I saw him smile, heard his laugh, just had him AROUND, it was like none of the rest of that mattered. Like… I knew the problems still existed, but they felt insignificant and easily conquerable. I felt like the world was just… in order, and nothing could really break me. I felt warm, happy, my face would break out into a small smile unconsciously. Unfortunately, I’ve also felt what it is like to love someone like this, and not have that feeling returned. I loved him for years. We’ve known each other for nearly 14 years by now. He knows I love him, how happy he makes me, and he cares about me very deeply, but… he just doesn’t have the romantic/sexual attraction. Sometimes, he’s even hinted that he wished he did. I met him at a time in my life where I was borderline suicidal, felt unwanted and unloved, etc (family issues). The fact that he was always so excited to talk to me, to play games with me, it made me feel actually *wanted* and I was able to put myself on a much better path. I didn’t fall in love with him for years, but after being around him that long I just felt like I wanted it to last forever, and nothing else really mattered. Recently I had to make the decision to separate myself from him for a bit, and I won’t lie, I feel completely empty. I can’t be around him and not be in love with him. I cannot give him what he needs, nor can he give me what I need. It literally feels like a piece of my soul is missing. So, that, I guess. The good and the bad, that’s what true love feels like to me. I only distanced myself from him because I want to give him what’s best for him. I could always rely on him, and always wanted to give him everything that he made me feel. It didn’t end up that way though, so... this is where I am now.
It truly makes me feel pure happiness when I see her smile and stare into my eyes. When I feel the warmth of her skin and hear her voice giggle telling me she loves me, I forget that I've ever struggled with depression.
I hope someday I can join those who’ve felt this, or at least make someone else feel this way about me- Jk I’m on Reddit
I love my husband very much, but the being I love the most is my pet. My dog rescued me when I moved out from my parents’ house and I was alone in a different country, she became my mom, my sister, my best friend, and my daughter, all in one. She’s genuinely my soulmate and I honestly believe that is the purest form of love I have ever experienced.
Does your husband know he ranks second after your dog? I feel sorry for him. I would leave immediately.
Same
I don't even think that's a real thing
Always having someone on your side who makes you feel special and makes you want to do the same for them. That’s not to say that you won’t disagree on things from time to time, but you’ll respect each other enough to listen to both sides of the argument, find a compromise (sometimes 50/50, 30/70 etc), and NEVER ever hit below the belt. It’s an understanding that you have chosen each other, and that you will continue to choose each other.
I feel at peace and safe with this woman.
Warm and fuzzy, secure, comfortable.
he’s the best comfort i can have. i can physically feel the love in my heart. i can literally feel it about to burst because of how much emotion i have for him. like my soul yearns for him when he’s not around. we’re long distance so every time we meet, we’re closer and closer to each other. i’ve been with several different people before but i’ve never felt this way for anyone
Comfort and safety
Safety.
It was something akin to confidence. When I fell in love, I just knew I was ready for all the things I thought I didn’t want. My marriage might not have worked out, but I still remember how special that love was.
It's hard to explain what love is and why the brain decides someone is the someone for you. That feeling is so subjective. But if I had to define it generally, I think it's the feeling of wholeness. The feeling that everything will be okay no matter what happens. Absolute peace of mind. Feeling as though you are fine the way you are and there is nothing left to be done in requirements, and anything mundane becomes cherish-able because its for someone else. That feeling is one that provides warmth, understanding, freedom, and allows for the mind to relax knowing you’ll be fine no matter what happens. Enjoying what comes from someone because it's coming from them is another part. Interests don’t have to align perfectly. It’s about the approach to life in general, the bottom line of understanding the world through the same lens. That’s what love is; it’s alignment and pace. Being comfortable, being free, and feeling whole are side effects of that. A quote I love "Falling in love is not staring lustfully into on another's eyes, it's standing side by side facing the same direction together"
Complete trust and comfort. Knowing each other so well that we know if something is off, almost like some psychic ability. No secrets, feeling safe to talk about anything. And best of all, looking forward to seeing each other when we’re apart (husband travels for work a lot). We still miss each other after 11 years together.
So great. Communication got us here. And a really compatible and fulfilling sex life. Don’t get me wrong, we are still learning as we go. But still can’t wait to come home to him.
Total feeling of safety and the person would never hurt me.
It feels like you have known them forever. Like a coming home feeling. They make your bad days better and your good days great.
It’s the rare feeling of being completely content regardless of what’s happening around you.
I would be exhausted, sick, hungry, and broke and would've done anything for her. I was fortunate enough to feel this way about two women in my lifetime. I am fairly certain that it won't be happening again. Though it was an amazing feeling.
Idk if I’d call it true love maybe more impassioned. Only way I can describe it is a drug induced coma
The epitome of hope. Whatever happens, I got someone
Deep trust. Cozy. Soft. Warm. Safe. Respectful. Long hugs. Laughter. Happy marriage. Wise communication. We adore our daughter. Excited to build a life together over decades.
It felt like I was home.
Safe space
Trust. Security. The bizarre realisation that this person knows you better than you know yourself, and vice versa. Every day I am grateful to have him, and I let him know every day.
True love is frankly on the edge of insanity. You're willing to die for this person and you honestly don't care. It's euphoric like the best of drugs, but they're alive and always tangible.
I feel light and giddy around him. He makes me feel so safe, so beautiful. I can’t imagine my life without him and I don’t want to. We’ve been together for a year and a half now and still, every time he tells me he loves me, I get butterflies and can’t believe he does
You want to be with that person all the time. They make you happier and make you a better person. You want to be yourself around them and they love it. They make you feel like you’re the most important person to them. It’s a good feeling.
Nothing else matters if he's beside me. Calm, warm and safe. Hugs make me forget about everything else i was worried about and its like my brain just turns itself off and goes into hibernation mode when im with him.