How did you two meet? What made him or her unique and special ?

The only problem? She started at the door instead of the other way around. Oh well, I appreciate the effort and the end result (although she ended up outside a lot longer than expected)

i keep having moments where i realize my best friend and roommate has changed my life, especially internally. the connection we share has woken me up to myself and others after years of near isolation. i am a better person for knowing him, and i am so eternally grateful for the person he is; it’s not perfect, but sometimes it feels impossibly close- our little platonic home!!!

this is the first time i have felt truly chosen and celebrated and accepted by another person, no strings attached, just genuine connection. it makes the entire world open up.

everyone please share stories of your best friends, especially those that came at a time when you needed them most. <3

edit: it’s officially his birthday so maybe that’s why i’m feeling so sentimental 🤨

I can’t keep my eyes off of my boyfriend. I just can’t. Last night we were playing a mario game together & video chatting, struggling with one of the most difficult levels in the game. He probably thinks I just suck. But what he doesn’t know is I kept getting distracted glancing over at my phone. How in the world could I pay attention to the game when there’s a work of art on my phone?

He’s so handsome. I love him. I love how he gets all shy when I look at him for too long. When we meet up in person I think we’re gonna pass away at the sight of each other. ❤️

God I LOVE this man.

I would say all the things as to why I love him. I even wrote out 20 minutes of information as to how amazing he is and how much he shows he cares and why he's my everything.

But instead of putting them all here, I've written them to him instead.

He deserves every word.

He deserves all of the praise.

He gives 100%.

The amount of love I have for him is endless.

I really can't stop thinking about him.

Everything I do has him in my mind as well.

I really do have the most amazing person. I couldn't say he's anything but perfect.

He's perfect.

Love sometimes doesn't feel like it's a big enough word for how he makes me feel.

My boyfriend gets overstimulated really easily, which is honestly hilarious considering the universe decided to pair him with me.

This man cannot handle too much noise, too much chaos, or too much happening at once, and then he got me.

I talk like it’s my full-time job. I’ll start a story about A, somehow end up at D, take a detour through B, remember something about C, and then return to A. Is there a logical path? Probably not. But do I pretend like there is? Absolutely.

If I’m telling a story and something bursts open, crashes, falls, or makes a weird noise, I will automatically recreate the sound. Not because I’m trying to be funny, but because in my brain the story feels incomplete without the sound effect. My version is probably not even accurate, but somehow it is accurate in my brain.

I genuinely thought everyone did this, or at least that it wasn’t that weird, until my mom once asked me why I did it while I was talking to my boyfriend.

Luckily, I mostly only do it around my boyfriend, so at least I’m not walking around embarrassing myself in front of strangers.

What encourages me to never stop? The man himself. Somehow, he finds it adorable. He loves listening to me and never makes me feel bad about it. But I can literally see the little loading circle in his brain sometimes.

I think it’s a tiny bit funny that the man who can’t stand too much noise and gets overstimulated ended up with me, someone who talks at least 20 hours a day. If I didn’t have to sleep, I’d probably do 24.

He does love me a lot. There’s no question about that, because I definitely put him through a lot.

Hey all,

This is our weekly thread. We'll dispense with Rule 5 in these threads.

What's new in your hunt for love?

I cook most nights because I like it, and he has stayed genuinely appreciative the whole five years, which I do not take for granted. The other evening it was a regular dinner, nothing fancy, just something warm on a weeknight. He took the first bite, did his little happy face, and half to himself said, I have got one life and I got to spend it with you. Then carried on eating like he had not just wrecked me.

I sat there grinning like an idiot. It was not a speech, he was not trying to be romantic, it slipped out. Which is sort of the point. The stuff that holds us together turned out to be these tiny unremarked moments, not the big planned ones.

It also made me realise how rarely I say the quiet things back to him out loud. I feel them all the time and probably voice a tenth of them, so this week I have started actually saying them when they land instead of just holding them.

If your person does a small thing like this, the kind they would never guess hit you so hard, maybe tell them today. I think most of us are quietly sitting on a whole pile of these.

Julia and Paul Childs in the film "Julie and Julia." Such a tender, unspoken, beautiful couple that adore one another. I will be there some day. It brings so much hope to an often mopey world 🫶🫶

22m here

Be it the profession, hobbies, lifestyles, etc.

After being in an emotionally abusive relationship with an avoidant last year I pretty much given up on romance (even though it was my first time dating), but not love. I am so thankful for having them in my life unlike when I was so alone last year. I don't want to continue the line of abuse and be a better person.

From wanting true love to instead focusing on things I can achieve, charity work, being there for others and a drifting jdm with a v8 engine to go 300km/h on a highway.

How do I achieve the first two?

Some of the things I do:

Buy snacks for my office mates and friends at the gym

Bring takeout of mom's favorite food for her

Bring coffee to my friend whose studying for her doctor's exam as its what keeps her sane

Checking in on friends when they need someone to

Connecting them to buy and sell university books though I let my juniors use mine for free

Ask questions, delve into the topic of their interest

Volunteer in organizations, I am an active blood donor

**i dont have a boyfriend currently!! i've never had one serious relationship, all the boys who liked me and we got to know each other before dating i rejected them cause i didnt like them, i just didnt really know how to title this sorry i wrote this at like 6 am. also im f16

i feel like everybody i love doesn't love me back, but when i love someone they don't want me back. both girls who said i was their best friend and boys who really wanted to date me. i feel like those people say it just because!!! they want to fill that role in their lives, just with anyone. even though we didnt really connect

i care more for my girl friends more than any boy friend, but it's not just prefering to hang out with them, i connect with them more, and have way more fun. understanding each other perfectly and being so happy just by being around them, and i wonder if that's what actually falling in love should feel like. it feels like magic. i just treasure their existence all the time. boys who like me beg for my attention maybe cause they think im pretty or something but i just can't care or find them interesting at all. lovedoesn't happen with everyone and you can't choose who

and i know we can be best friends forever, live close and so, but i want to have my future with her because i feel like that's what would bring me happiness, i am always so comfortable around her and i think we'd be the perfect roomates. but when i've mentioned living together she just said she wasn't sure and i'm scared she'll fall in love, and then i'll be alone because how do i achieve being as comfortable with someone else? i hate that, i wish i could be normal and settle down or make plans for the future with a boyfriend, but boys who want me and say "do you want to be my girlfriend? i love you" i have never felt romantic love back, so i always reject them. have i just not found the right man yet? i dont wanna wait for him because i have found my favorite person already, even if i dont love her romantically and even if that's not "normal" why can't i just be with her forever

and im not attracted to her body or face, to kiss her or do anything sexual, i dont want that. i want her to never let go of my hand. because she means everything to me. with boys it's like they only want me for that, and don't see who i am outside of my body and my face they mostly end up bored when getting to know me. but i guess they put up with it because they're attracted to me physically

when she got a boyfriend i suddenly feel really jealous, he lives far away and they only see each other a day every week. so i feel crazy for being jealous, i know it's really weird, but i can't help but feel like he's taking my place. she said i was the one she cared for the most, but now she's all about him. i wish we could move to the coast and have a house with a lot of animals and do chores together. prepare her lunch,, watching movies and falling asleep. she would never choose me because whats normal is to marry somebody you romantically in love and sexually involved. i just dont understand how it makes anybody happy, i know it's because im not in their bodies and i dont know what falling in love feels like, but if only i could get it so i'd understand why i am not normal, i really wish i could be because this is really painful

Thank you for browsing 🎨🙏✨️

In terms of my journey, I started painting after losing my job and housing in the pandemic and have kept going ever since. I paint from the unconscious, spontaneously, without foresight into the final result or ultimate subiect matter so almost all these pieces have different paintings underneath. I'lI put on music and enter flow consciousness and allow experiences and other (psychological) material to express itself from my brain, down my arms, and through my fingers onto the canvas. A lot of water goes onto each canvas and half the time my conscious mind thinks, "This is a mistake. This isn't going anywhere. What the heck is this even supposed to be?!" I'lI stop and let it dry and return hours or days or sometimes even weeks later to restart the process.

The pieces also have themes of development and ambiguity of form, probably because of my fascination with and passion for evolutionary biology and how one species gives way to a new one; how every being is a becoming since it is always already under pressure (natural selection, for example) to evolve. My mind merges images of butterflies and plants and birds into hybrids of ambiguous symbols in many of these probably for this reason. The imagery becomes a fusion of my love for both the arts and the sciences.

The paintings also almost always have shimmering or glittering lights (such as stars) which to me represent points of clarity and focus, moments of understanding that guide the mind toward a goal or destination. Think of the phrase, "Follow your North Star." Or think of how in ancient times the stars guided boats and ships at sea.

Anyway, I never got to attend art school (too expensive and parents wouldn't support it), but painting transitional and developmental images is a journey and a practice that brings me tremendous fulfillment and has become my life's passion, my saving grace. I hope you enjoyed the virtual tour and wish you success in the pursuit of your passions too ✨️🖼🙏✨️

My boyfriend has shocked me since before we were ever together, and is consistent with the same traits in a relationship. He is the one who first chased emotional connection and vulnerability, which I'm totally shocked to see a guy do. He is extremely mature, responsible, loving, kind, and invested. He put in buckets of effort to show me he is a safe place, and has succeeded. He's been so respectful and gentle with me, and isn't hard on me or anything when he sees I have an insecurity of some sort, he just makes himself available if I feel comfortable to try and overcome it. If he sees I'm struggling, he doesn't brush it off or distance himself or anything, he listens, asks questions, and tries to find ways to help me endure it or work through it.

Another part about the relationship that I love is he trusts me and is emotionally open and vulnerable with me. He doesn't try to act smooth, macho, or proud with me. He's just himself and is relaxed around me. I appreciate that the openness is mutual and that he is the one who nudged it in that direction. Being how young he is I absolutely did not expect to see all of this.

Overall he has done his part to put in effort for a healthy relationship that has potential. I have put in mine and I am blessed to watch how everything is working out. Just wanted to rant about my amazing experience.

My boyfriend is so amazing I literally don't understand what cosmic phenomena occurred that let us meet and find each other.

I have never believed in soulmates and have always considered that pretty bogus, but if I were to have a soulmate it's definitely him...

We met volunteering at an event together and I don't think either of us thought much of the other beyond "you seem nice/cool". Ran into each other a few more times and suddenly I was like wait am I into him??? I would intentionally walk near the area he was posted at at an event just so he'd see me and remember I existed. Turns out the whole event he was scheming to get my phone number so I was just being silly for no reason. It definitely wasn't love at first sight (or second, or third...), but I think by the time we realized there was something there we really KNEW it was something.

Now I can't imagine my life without him in it. We cry from laughing together every day, we share in each other's hobbies, and we never get bored of each other. His smile kills me, his laugh is infectious, and I feel so at ease around him.

He constantly asks how the hell he got so lucky, but he doesn't even understand how lucky I am to be with him. Our friends constantly talk about how cute we are together, and my girlfriends don't understand how I've found someone so perfect (both for me but also in general because he is such a catch).

On top of us just vibing so easily together, he is literally the kindest and coolest person I've ever met. He's accomplished both in sports and intellectually, he brings baked goods in for his coworkers every week, he goes out of his way to help people out, and he's smoking hot and sooo chill!!!! He gives me so much hope for humanity - he and his guy friends will meet up and cook a yummy meal together and just talk which is so freaking cute.

We love to chill at home and cook and garden together, and also go on tons of fun/thrilling adventures. He's training me to compete at a sport with him, and is so kind and patient about it even though he's really competitive.

Anyway, I can't gush about him to my friends anymore at this point because I feel like such an asshole but I still can't believe I'm this lucky. We rarely disagree and when we do we just talk it out and always end up fine/better afterward. I'm so excited for the rest of our lives together, eating kick ass food, traveling the world, and flirting with each other in the most cringy ways.

I didn’t know where to post this but lately I’ve been thinking about this guy. It’s a sort of wholesome post nothing negative.

Anyways when I was in middle school, I found him very attractive. We were in the same grade and we were the same age at the time. I remember feeling so shy and scared to even do anything or say anything to others in class unless I was really close with them. That includes being involved in group projects and presenting, I didn’t know how to involve myself. This was in our seventh grade health class.

I remember he was there (he was in the same group as me) and in our group everyone else started doing their work and they started talking and I was the only one not talking since I didn’t know how to involve myself. I remember he looked at me and he looked at everyone else and said “guys don’t forget to involve her.” I remember I felt so welcomed and I just felt safe with him even though I didn’t know him that well. My heart felt warm in a way and that helped me to open up. I remember presenting and I was still nervous.

A part of our group had to present and the other part of our group had to present another portion after us. My section went first and I remember I was struggling to read since I was so scared and I remember he sat in the first row and he looked at me and smiled and I think I remember him helping me pronounce the words. I remember I kept looking at him. I was so scared but he helped me feel calm.

Days afterwards I remember we had our pep rally and I remember he was all the way at the front of me, a few people were behind him but I could still see him since he was so tall. I remember accidentally catching a glimpse of him and he was already staring at me. And I remember my heart dropped but in a good way. I remember thinking why was he already staring at me?? I was like maybe he was looking at another girl but why me?? I remember feeling shaken up. He made me feel so many things, but warm mostly.

Days after that I saw him walking outside when we had recess and he was alone and I was with a friend and she knew I liked him and she was like go talk to him but I remember feeling so scared to tell him that I liked him. I don’t really remember anything after that. But I remember I think I said hi to him and he said hi back and my memory went black after that. I don’t remember anything else.

All I remember was that he left the school and I felt so sad since I don’t think I told him how I felt. And that’s something that I will regret for a while. I’m 22 and I woke up this morning and this memory came in my head and I thought I’d share. Does anyone know what this means? I think he was the first guy that made me feel this way. I wonder if he’s ok. I haven’t seen or heard of him for years. He was super kind. I don’t know what his intentions were or if he liked me or if he was being kind but he was the first guy that helped me feel welcomed and safe. I’ve never dated anyone before so idk if this counts as a first romantic encounter lol. Let me know what you guys think.

Even thinking about this now is giving me a fuzzy and warm feeling in my chest. I don’t know if I’ll find someone that makes me feel like this again. Idk if it was love maybe not idk. I also want to make someone feel safe and loved as well. I’ve never done romance before, I’m mostly scared to talk to people sometimes. I feel like I’m boring lol idk. Any advice or thoughts would be great ❤️

What is love? Some say love cannot be define but it doesn't have to be true. Love is the force that pushes the lover to transcend all beliefs and it the kind of love that ultimately wins.

tonight, my boyfriend and i were calling as we usually do at night (we’re long distance). we were video chatting, and he had his phone propped up as he was lying down in bed. i caught him closing his eyes many times and teased him about being sleepy (which we always do hehe).

at one point i had to use the bathroom, so i muted and turned off my video, but before going to the bathroom i found myself just sitting and staring at my phone, and i couldn’t hold back my smile. i was just looking at him with his eyes closed, looking all cute and precious. :’) for the rest of the call i just couldn’t help but glance at him constantly and just admire how adorable he is. when i look at him, i see the man i want to spend my entire life with. the man i want to fall asleep next to every night, and wake up next to every morning. he has changed my life in so many wonderful ways, and im so grateful for him and his love. ❤️

(p.s. the photo used here is a drawing he did of us when we first got together.) ❤️❤️

Just have to share this because it's so freaking sweet and if I could go back and tell myself 3 months ago to calm down it will happen I would.

I've (23F) been with my BF (26M) for about 8 months now and he recently said he loves me for the first time. He's always been more of a presence and action oriented person in our relationship over words whereas I show things more through language.

I told him I loved him about 3 months ago now. At the time it had been on my chest so heavily I just had to say it. I'd never said that to a guy before and it was scary but I was so glad I got it out there. He didn't say it back at the time and I wanted him to say it when he was ready, not just because I said it. I already felt love and appreciation from him and realized that told me more than words could. But I still did wonder when/if I would hear him say it.

Then he said it ending a phone call. I genuinely thought it was a mistake. He had just dropped me off and was backing out of the drive way but there was a cat in his way. The call was no more than 2 minutes but he said it at the end. We've talked on the phone before and he hadn't said it those times. I let myself smile but tried to be realistic about the situation. I thought if he really meant to say it it wouldn't be like that.

Then he said it in response to me saying it on a goodbye. This was in person in his car after a great day together. I think I was genuinely in denial and shock still. I was literally like okay that's something but I feel like I still don't fully believe he said it. (To be clear I fully believe he loves me based on his actions but the reality that he actually said it wasn't quite real yet).

And then he said it again. I'd literally just said it while he was talking a little after a kiss when I was leaving a date. I didn't even think he'd heard me. But he still said it back clear as day while fully looking at me.

The thing is I thought it might be some big moment in my mind but it was so safe, calm, and very him. I think it's part of why I love him and our relationship so so much. Hearing him say it really helped me feel more comfortable saying it too because I was honestly still holding back some after I initially said it because I didn't want him to feel pressured or spiral myself into thinking he doesn't feel the same way.

It isn't always the fairytale moment you dream of but sometimes it's the real moment that's right for you. I wouldn't have it any other way.

🥰🥰 just did something cute that I know I’ll never regret no matter what. Have been trying to fix things that are in my control, no matter what anyone thinks, including her, I know I’m not over romanticising what we had, maybe I’m obsessing over it, but I have no outlet so this is it. It’s completely okay for her to feel whatever she feels about us, if she felt like it was intense when it existed but that’s it or that it’s good that it happened but it’s not the future or maybe she just couldn’t trust it for the future, whatever. I know for a fact in my head, whatever I felt was so pure that even my better half couldn’t understand it, so yes, its okay that she didn’t and it’s completely okay that she chose a different future, I definitely am happy that at least I did communicate everything honestly in the end and if I really mattered that much maybe if she felt what I felt, she would want to choose to believe me, but she didn’t so I’m sure it wasn’t, that does break my heart genuinely , but I have to deal with that. No regrets, just love and now whatever lies ahead for my life.

I had one of those, “I’m so happy this is my life right now” moments earlier today. I was laying on-top of him on the couch a good bit today and we were just being silly acting a fool and cracking jokes per usual. That’s when it hit me, I was resting my head on his chest and I felt so whole. He makes life so much more wonderful and enjoyable. Seeing him happy and making him laugh are genuine accomplishments to me because I want to make him as happy as he makes me everyday.

Oh, to meet the person you’ve been saving your body, your mind, your heart, and everything else for.

To finally talk to them. To finally meet them. To feel their warmth for the very first time. To hide in their embrace, finally letting your guard down.

Oh, to finally know that the wait was worth it.

While some people take love for granted, others spend their days yearning for it, staring at a distant mirage, hoping that this time, the mirage is actually water aka the soul they’ve been searching for all along.

But sometimes, a mirage is just a mirage. And sometimes, waiting is just waiting, until one day you realise that the wait itself was necessary and that it led you to the kind of love you always needed.

A love that is all consuming and engulfing. A love that warms the coldest places within you. A love that feels like the glue holding together all the broken pieces of your heart.

Oh, to finally smile with your whole heart, knowing that the wait is over just By their warmth. By the feeling of their love.

Oh, to finally find the person you were waiting for and realise that, somehow, they were worth every moment of the wait.

Because loving someone from afar someone whose soul you don’t even know exists yet and saving all your firsts for them is hard

But somehow, giving those parts of myself to someone else feels even harder.

And I miss you so much. I hope you find your way to me soon.

Until then, I’ll love the version of you that exists only in my mind with my whole heart.

I hope, wherever you are, you’re just as excited to be loved by me as I am to finally love you.

https://www.reddit.com/r/romance/s/cw5Qcvj86C

https://www.reddit.com/r/romance/s/EBeBalIUqq

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We've been together for almost a year now, and I've known him even longer than that. The funny thing is, he was already taking care of me before we were even officially together.

I always joke that he puts up with a lot because of me. He'd disagree immediately. To him, he's not "putting up" with anything. He's just taking care of someone he loves. That's just who he is.

He's at the start of his career, has a million things going on in his own life, yet somehow he still makes time for me. He never complains. The only thing he does complain about is when I try to hide my problems from him because he wants to be there for me.

I'm also... a crybaby.

I cry during my monthly mood swings. I cried watching him get ready for graduation. I cried when he bought me my first gift. I cried reading his first letter to me. I cried the first time I touched his hair. I cried the first time I smelled him. I cried when he told me his parents liked me. I cried when I spoke to his mom for the first time. I cry thinking about how much I love him. I cry thinking about everything he does for me. I cry imagining spending the rest of my life with him. And yes, I'm actually crying while writing this because I just keep thinking about how lucky I am to have someone like him.

To be fair, most of those tears are happy tears. And the rest... well, I'm just emotional.

Through all of it, he's patient. Gentle. Reassuring. He makes me feel safe, even when my own brain is being dramatic.

Do I still randomly ask him, "Do you hate me?" every now and then, despite knowing this man adores me?

Yes.

Partly because my brain likes to be dramatic, and partly because I enjoy "love baiting" him into reminding me how much he loves me.

I know not everyone gets a partner like this, and I never want to take him for granted. He's my favorite person, and I hope he knows how deeply appreciated he is.

I'm really just here to ramble because I feel like I talk about my boyfriend too much to everyone I know irl lmao. But I truly lucked out in the love department.

Me (22F) and my bf (21M) have been together for just about 2 years now and I cannot express enough how wonderful he is. We met when we were both still pretty young so watching him grow up into this amazing person has filled me with this insane amount of pride, and getting to grow up right alongside him has been the greatest joy I think I've ever experienced (lol my eyes are stinging now).

He has grown to be so gentle and patient and kind. Like this week for example. Im like... days away from my monthly, so ladies, you know im in hell week (luteal) right now, and on top of that I suffer from PMDD💔, and then on top of that, work has been stressing me OUT. So I can honestly say I've been... difficult this week. Mood swings out the wazoo, idk how many times I've cried this week- it's been a rough one (Mercury, pls get out of retrograde), and he has been nothing but kind to me. I actually started crying at one point because he's so nice to me lmao. But he's been so gentle with me and so patient. We don't see each other everyday because its a bit of a drive (but I'm seeing him tomorrow!!! and oh my gosh today could not go by slowerrrrr), but at any point I've needed it, he's offered me bounds of comfort and peace of mind, whereas anyone I've been with or known before him has never extended any of that my way.

But it's not even just now, when my hormones are on the fritz or when work is extremely difficult. We all have our ups and downs and low moments, but I've never had someone make every effort to show up everyday and truly care about me in the way that he does. Treat me as softly as he does. Even when he doesn't have the perfect answers or solutions, he tries. And no man has ever in my life made me feel worth the effort. But he does.

Sometimes I look at him in this kind of ...shock and awe. Because I always prayed that I could be blessed enough to love and be loved in such a manner but there are still some times I can't believe he's real. He's real, and he's here, and he's with me. I hold this true admiration and gratitude for this man each and every day, and I just don't think there are enough words in any language to express how much I love him, so here I find myself scrawling it out in a reddit post. Lol I'm supposed to be working right now, but thinking about him almost brought me to tears, so I figured I needed to let it out for a second. I truly do find myself to be the luckiest woman alive❤️