What is a soul-mate?

I imagine it means something different for every person. Whether it's your "one and only" someone, the yin to your yang, your perfect other half, or it's a person who just happens to complement you very well, a friend, spouse or family member.

I don't believe in the first definition. It's hard for me to swallow that there's only one person out there who is made to be with me, a twin I'm doomed to spend my life searching for. I do, however, think we all have soul-mates.

I know I have them.

Friends who match me on different levels, who balance me out, smooth my rough edges and introduce me to new sides of myself. People who seem to know me better than I know myself so that I can always trust their advice because I know they truly know me. And I like to imagine that I offer the same to them, that I see them as they really are, see past the masks that we show the world.

I think it's really important to have people like that in your life, people that look past your masks, that know you so well that you don't have to pretend anything. I know we'd all like to say that we don't pretend, we don't wear any masks, we're real, we don't hide from the world. I beg to differ. No matter how "real" you are, how original you claim to be, EVERYONE has something that they keep from the rest of us, it's just human nature.

So take a close look at your friends, your partner, your family. Take an even closer look at yourselves. What is it that you keep hidden? And who in your life sees it? If you don't think you have anyone who sees the true you, I suggest finding your soul-mate. You'll be pleasantly surprised at the impact they have in your life.

And to my soul-mates, I hope you all know what you mean to me and how much you impact me and my life each and every day.

Thank you for keeping me "real."