"Soul Mates"

I'm currently teaching my students a unit about role models, but before we get to that level we spent the last week looking at the vocabulary words of believe and value, which are also present in our central idea.

It has taken them a lot to get from the value of money and the belief that red is the best colour to "I value my family and friends" and "I believe that if you wish on a star the wish will come true." We are still working on the belief of conceptual ideas. I was trying to think of some more examples of ways to guide them toward this "I believe in god", "I believe that all people are good" etc. and then I started thinking about what I really believe in.

I thought about the years that have past and how my beliefs have changed from when I was their age, to high school, to college, to leaving America to come and teach abroad.  So many things have changed, from the simplicity of actually studying political and religious systems, to experiencing different ways of life hands on. But, there is one thing that stands out the most to me: My belief in soul mates.

It used to be told that you get one soul mate to love and cherish for your whole life. After breaking up with my high school boyfriend I decided that "soul mate" was just simply not something I could believe in. It wasn't that I thought he was the one soul mate, I just realized that it wasn't fair that if you missed your chance of finding the one you would miss out on this experience on the whole. It was too stressful of a belief for me, so I gave it up. The concept of "soul mates" has changed and transformed for me so much, because I have met so many.

A soul mate is not ONE person you love for the rest of your life. A soul mate is simply someone you share an instantly deep connection with. I'm not talking about love at first sight or knowing right away, but there are definitely times when you are hanging out with someone and you see a reflection of yourself in them. You just click.

When you see that reflection you realize that it is an intricate part of who you are, and it makes you want to enhance that part of yourself, so that it can grow and transform into a larger part. It makes you want to be better than you are. You want to stay up for another hour just to hear their stories, because something in their words sparks a passion inside of you. 

I don't have one soul mate, and I don't believe there is one person I am meant to spend the rest of my life with. My soul mates have come in so many different shapes and sizes and from all walks of life, and sometimes the people that end up playing this irreplaceable role in my life greatly surprise me. 

So this one goes out to all of you who took the time to walk around at night and look at stars with me. Who have watched me cry through the pain. Those of you who know who and what broke my heart, and what I need to mend it. To those of you who took the hike and saw the amazing views. To those of you have danced on the empty floors, and seen my smile as a song I love come on. And most importantly those of you who have gotten me through the tough-ass life decisions that got me where I am today. I love you, and am grateful to you for being my soul mates.