Soulmates

Dear Uncle Gary,

I told my date I don’t believe in soulmates. She said, ‘That’s so sad.’ Is it?

Signed, So Sad

Dear So Sad,

Not sad. Honest.

Believing in soulmates is like believing your perfect pair of jeans is out there somewhere, waiting to hug your thighs and never betray you. It’s romantic, sure. But it’s also a little lazy. It assumes love is found, not built.

What you said, I don’t believe in soulmates, isn’t a rejection of love. It’s a vote for choice, for effort, for showing up even when the magic wears off and someone’s chewing sounds like a crime. It’s saying, “I’ll love you because I choose to, not because the universe assigned you to me like a cosmic roommate.”

If she thinks that’s sad, maybe she’s looking for a fairy tale. You’re offering a memoir. And that’s a hell of a lot more interesting.

Uncle Gary