30 Years
Our story is funny because my first love ended up being my last. I was an au pair in Belgium at 17 when I fell head over heels for the local cool guy. Of course, every girl wanted him, so dating wasn’t on the table, but we shared a few kisses. After a year, I came home but never forgot him. In the meantime, I got married, divorced, remarried, had two kids, and divorced again. A few years ago, out of curiosity, I looked him up on Facebook and we started chatting. He also has two grown kids and has been divorced twice. Thirty years later, we went on a date and got back together. We've been together for four years, I moved to Belgium two years ago, and we're happy. I feel it all happened just as it should—I wouldn’t change a thing about our story.
Perfect Match
Two. He’s my third relationship. Neither of us is perfect, but we’re perfect for each other.
Better Late Than Never
I only had one relationship, but it was a 43-year marriage. I was 63 when I met my husband’s old friend at a funeral. He was widowed too, and since then, we’ve been happy together.
Zero
She was the most beautiful girl in the village, and I liked her since elementary school. We got together in high school, and even though we attended college in different cities, we promised to stay faithful. It wasn’t easy—temptations were strong on both sides—but we made it work. After graduation, we married—15 years ago now—and have three kids. I truly hope she’s the one.
A Tale
We met at 23, and he was the One. But after a few happy years, life pulled us apart—his job took him abroad, and I didn’t follow. After two forgettable relationships, the One came along again, and we married. Five years of happiness later, our relationship cooled and we divorced, but we’re still friends. A few lively single years followed, then the One came back. We never married, but we’ve been together for ten years, and I feel we’ll grow old together. Or maybe not—life’s unpredictable. The “One” is just a fairy tale. I don’t believe we wait for just one person our whole lives; I’ve had three Ones so far.
Too Many
I’ve had countless serious and casual relationships, so I’m starting to lose hope that The One even exists…
The First
My very first date was with The One, and we’re still together. I know how incredibly lucky I am, and I never take it for granted—I’m grateful every day for my wife.
Experience
I had six serious relationships before finding The One, but I believe he became The One because I had grown enough to make a relationship work. Before that, I was immature and childish, unable to handle conflicts. It took six relationships to develop a healthy way to argue, not take offense easily, avoid bringing up old hurts, forgive, and compromise. Without these, no relationship works, no matter how “right” the other person is. Finding The One depends more on us than on our partner.
Work
I had four long—and many short-lived—relationships before meeting my husband, but my past failures weren’t always about my partners. I had to work on myself, carrying a lot of unresolved childhood trauma. Once I started therapy and worked through my issues over the years, The One came along. I just had to put down the emotional baggage I’d been carrying.
Decisions
I had three long relationships before my wife, but only one was with someone I was ready to marry. She decided not to be with me, so we broke up. It hurt a lot at the time, and a few “wild” years followed, but I don’t regret it. By the time The One came along, I had truly experienced and lived through it all.
