A few years ago, I realized with great disappointment that I have never met my soul mate. Despite going through several very fulfilling emotional relationships with some wonderful people, there has never been a situation where I could have been one hundred percent in sync with any one of them. Despite the deep affinity, love and intimacy that I may have felt, I have never been comfortable enough to completely bare my soul in front of anyone without that tiniest bit of apprehension of their judgments. Never has there been anyone who seemed to be a part of my flesh and blood.

Some people use the term soul mate without attributing too much depth to it, as simply another being with whom one has a strong emotional bonding or intimacy. I strongly believe that the term has much more potential as an offshoot of the concept of Twin Soul or Twin Flame - the unique, one and only other half of one's soul, that one person who is a mirror of oneself and with whom one will not have any social pretensions. I feel it denotes a profound connection, which does not require the support of words or language; that it is almost a divine grace that Thomas Moore recognized as ""nothing more precious in life,"" someone who makes me complete and whom after meeting, my lifes journey finds its destination.

One can even take the term as someone that you have had a degree of association with - in past, parallel or future lifetimes. Though this is primarily an oriental, mystic thought, it is not too far too understand the special bond one may feel for someone that we meet as a stranger on the road.

Many people like me realize at some point that that they have missed the experience of encountering their soul mates, and feel incomplete throughout their lives. They cannot find themselves and its as if one piece of them is always missing. I think its a precious gift to find your soul mate and that this union comes to those who are open to receiving it by abandoning themselves to their passions without any of societys social conditioning. As Leslie Parrish states, A soul mate is someone who has locks that fit our keys, and keys to fit our locks. When we feel safe enough to open the locks, our truest selves step out and we can be completely and honestly who we are...