When A Man Loves A Woman (And Moves For Her) by Matt McAllister My wife Stacey and I had been married for exactly two months when she got an offer that would change our lives. At the time, we were like any newlyweds, trying to settle into our new lives together as husband and wife. We’d dated for over five years before tying the knot, and for the first few weeks in the wake of our wedding we were asked by practically everyone we knew if it felt any different to be married. We quickly grew accustomed to answering that, no, not much had changed between us. Before long, however, we were admitting at least to each other that perhaps marriage did make us feel slightly different about things. It was like we were being pulled by something larger than either of us, as if we’d been entered into some sort of competition to which someone had neglected to tell us the rules. Still, we were proud to be married to each other and excited to wake up with one another for the rest of our lives. Anything else was peripheral. When the offer was presented, the first real challenge in our lives together as husband and wife came with it. They’d called her at work to explain the position and say that they wanted to fly her down to L.A. to discuss the possibilities. When Stacey came home that night and told me about it, my initial reaction was less than supportive. “I am NOT moving to Los Angeles,” I told her, although as far as stances go mine sounded a bit halfhearted, even to me. The truth was, as much as we loved the Bay Area, we’d never intended to stay there for as long as we had. A year turned into four, and although we’d been in our current, tiny apartment in Sausalito for only ten months, already it was beginning to feel restrictive and tiresome. In fact we’d been talking about moving anyway; it’s just that at that point we were only considering a move back into the City or up a little farther north to Mill Valley. She came back from L.A. feeling and looking inspired. They wanted to make her a vice president, and the job was doing something she’d always wanted to do. “It just sucks that it’s in La La Land,” she said. “That really does suck,” I agreed stupidly. Now, it did eventually dawn on my thick brain that what I should’ve said—like anyone who’d ever read a single Dear Abby column knows—was that if she really wanted to take the job, then the city it was in shouldn’t make that big of a difference. When at last I realized this, I said something to that effect. “But you’re still in school,” she said. To be exact, I was nine credits short of receiving my M.A. at San Francisco State. “I could always transfer,” I countered. “What about your business?” she asked, referring to my modest roster of clients for whom I offer marketing and writing services. “I can pretty much work from anywhere. And there are plenty of Internet companies down there,” I said. And so the seed had been planted. For the next week or two we argued the pros and cons of staying and going, weighing each point with care and precision and trying to assign values for each of our reasons. We flip-flopped back and forth, thinking on numerous occasions that at last we’d made a decision, only to change our minds again an hour or a day later. What compounded the dilemma further was the fact that Stacey’s old employer was making a comeback offer in an attempt to keep her. Throughout all of it we argued a little, drank lots of wine, reminded each other that it was a win-win scenario for Stacey’s career, and like any newlyweds had tons of really great sex. We told some of our friends and family that we were considering moving to L.A., and were greeted with reactions that ranged from supportive to derisive and everything in between. My parents and in-laws of course were proud of Stacey come what may and proud of me for being so supportive of my new bride as to move to L.A. for what was ostensibly her benefit. Most of my close friends, on the other hand, (especially those in San Fran, where there is a general snobbery towards Los Angeles) all thought I was crazy. Some swore up and down that I’d hate it there. Even the ones who understood my reasons—or at least that I must have reasons, of some sort—all seemed to look at me as if I'd just lost a little bit of my manhood. “You're letting your wife's career dictate your life!” they said, if not with their mouths then at least with their eyes. They may have had a point there, but I tried to look at it more like I was enabling my wife to dictate her own career without my meddling. And wasn’t that admirable? Finally, a decision was made, and this time the resolution that came with it seemed to stick. I think that after a point all the reasons we had for staying in San Francisco seemed less and less important. It wasn’t like we had a house that we’d have to put on the market or any kids to pull out of a school system. (I felt fairly certain that our dog would adjust to a new dog park without much trouble.) Of course, some of our closest friends were up in Northern California, but we looked forward to getting reacquainted with some old friends in Southern California, and we could always make new ones. But what I think ultimately proved to be the deciding factor for us was simple. For Stacey, she always would’ve wondered “what if?” had she not taken the job in L.A. In my case, it wasn’t so much that I worried she might someday ask herself what would’ve happened if she had taken that job; I simply couldn’t live knowing that her question might be, “What if Matt hadn’t made me stay in San Francisco?” Once I thought about it that way, there was nothing else to consider. by Angel High school sweethearts just like your parnets.. We met in 4th hour, but you weren't really caring.. It took you awhile to notice I liked you.. Finally we went on our first date.. Love was with us that night let me tell you, how long was our date it lasted FOREVER... Before that night we over you lend over to kiss me.. WOW you were everything I dreamed of.. The perfect guy and the perfect kiss how could I go wrong? So ever since that night I've held you close and held you tite and we're still together tonight.. We are making plans for the long road ahead, we plan on little ones running the house.. Lets wait awhile lets move slow.. So that our love does last FOREVER... I LOVE YOU AARON with all my heart... <3 Never Would Have Guessed by Keegan When I was in fifth grade, I didn't care too much about boys. I was the average little girl who played with Barbie dolls. Therefore, when Jesse, the new boy, moved to Texas and enrolled in my Elementary School, I didn't really care. He was enrolled in my class and I thought he was cute, but at the same time he didn't look like a nice person. I tried only once to make friends with the new boy, he shrugged me off, so I never tried again. He went with the other students to the local middle and high school and I went to different ones. So I never had contact with him again. Later, near the end of my junior year of high school, my good friend from school, Josh, was coming over to visit me as he always did, but this time he brought his best friend whom I had never met before. He introduced me to his best friend, Jesse. We both remembered one another, but he still was not much of a talker. I instantly fell in love. I wanted him so bad, but I thought it was one of those dream guys that I would never get. I told Josh anyway about my sudden but true love for Jesse. He told Jesse and Jesse agreed to have feelings for me, but he had a girlfriend. Unfortunately, Josh only told me the part of him having a girlfriend. I decided not to bother with him, because I knew it would hever happen. A month later, during April, Jesse broke up with his girlfriend and was anxious to get to know me. We actually began talking and he started coming over to my house without Josh. On April 28, Jesse asked me to be his girlfriend. With extreme happiness I said yes. Ever since that day, we have never gone a day without seeing each other. Every living moment we are either together or speaking on the phone. Our love is true, real, and perfect. We know all we need in life is each other. We couldn't be happier and each day we are amazed that God has given us each the greatest gift we could ever recieve...each other. I never would have guessed that the new little boy in Fifth grade, would turn out to be my soul mate. Finding the one you love... by Michelle I met a man, a man I thought was only part of a dream. One day i was at my lowest point in my life and felt as if i just could not go on. My life was my friends online. I had my car packed full of my belongings i was going away but i didn't know where i just felt so alone and knew this place was not the place i needed to call home. I was saying goodbye to all my friends that i had made online. I accidently went into a chat room, something i never did there was one person sitting in this room they seemed to be lost and was'nt sure what to do so i said "hello" he responded in saying "hello" back we began talking and sharing where we lived. I don't know why but i paused and i thought i know this person thier soul speaks to mine like something familiar. It wasn't long before others began filling up in the chat room and i politely excused myself. I wanted to contine our talk but a woman began speaking to him and i felt he wanted to get to know her so i backed away and left the room. As i signed off line i felt this burning need to speak to this man again. Each day i'd watch him go off and on the internet without saying a word to him. Hoping he'd make the first move and speak to me. But little did i know the day we met this was his very first time on the internet and did'nt know how to contact me. A week went by i finally got the courage to say "hello" again. That afternoon we talked for over 6 hours non- stop. It was like a river of love had opened up for us both. We had, had a lifetime of being apart and had so much to share with one another. We shared many nights talking 11-12 hours and then phoning each other. Our love continued and grew stronger and stronger as the days went by. We prayed and hoped that we could be together very soon, but that day never came for us. A year went by and we were no closer to building our life together than when we first started. The pressure of waiting of praying of hoping eventually tore this love to shreds. I tried so hard to love him for the rest of my days i felt in my soul that god had placed this man in my life for a reason. I loved him so much and he returned his love to me. I was afraid of living my life away from him, i began to become angry and scared. So in the depths of my soul i told the only man i ever loved that i needed to leave him. This waiting was killing us both and we both knew it was near to impossible for us to ever be together. You see we live almost 10,000 miles away from each other. Our love could cross all boundries but not an ocean. I love him with all my heart but i knew that if i didn't make the move to go on then we could be stuck in this love of torture for the rest of our lives. He hurt so badly we cried i knew i had given up my soulmate, the person god had chosen me to be with in heaven and on earth. The lonliness was almost deafening, the pain was too real to deal with any longer. Our love could not with hold anymore i felt him slipping away. I did the one and only thing i thought i could do to save our love,or what was left to save. I will always love him and we will always be connected by our love. But for now i have moved on and am now in a relationship with a man ive tried to replace the pain in my heart. He loves me completely, but my love can never be complete because i left my heart with my soulmate. The only man i will ever love....... We belong together by Christina I know that most people see online relationships as a big joke. I know I did until I found my Soul Mate online. We started talking in late August 2000, and have been through all the ups and downs of what all couples go through. But to this day we are still together. When we first starting talking I had just moved out here to North Carolina. I had also just gotten out of an abusive relationship, which is the reason I moved. I consoled in him and told him things I could never tell anyone before. I found it so strange how i could open up to someone I had never even met in person before. But we both saw a good person in eachother and a best friend for life in eachother. He helped me realize I was'nt worthless. Something I'd never felt since I was 12 ( which was the age I started dating the abusive boyfriend). It was amazing what a turn my life had made just from talking to him online. We decided to start talking on the phone and once we heard eachothers voices we knew we were meant for eachother, we knew we were soulmates. There was no dought about it, we were meant for eachother. We did go through a break up due to the distance, but true love always finds its way back. We know that if it does'nt work out in a romantic way, we will be best friends for life. We belong together. We are soulmates. Now We Believe In Fate by Katie Some people believe that everyone has his/her own destiny. That everything is mapped out and that we have limited choices. I was never one of these people. Until my relationship with Jerry. I originally met Jerry while I was working on a story for a local newspaper during my junior year of high school. I went to different high schools in the area to interview students at random. Jerry was one of the students who was randomly selected at his school. I remember thinking he was really good-looking, but I was a little too shy to make a move. I never expected to see him again. Six months later, I went to a friend's house, who was having some people over. There was a guy there who looked really familiar, and after some brain-racking, I realized it was Jerry. I began a conversation with him, using the newspaper story for something to talk about. We got along really well and there wasn't the slightest break in conversation. We made plans to go on a date the following day. Neither of us had very much money, so we decided to take a walk in the park and talk. We walked along the trails, chatting as if we had known each other for years. Finally, we came upon a bridge that overlooked the lake. What happened next belongs in a box somewhere so I can keep it forever. We were standing on a bridge underneath a black sky sparkling with stars. We suddenly stopped talking and faced each other. Then we shared our first kiss. After that day, we were inseparable. We spent every single moment of every single day together. We had to, because Jerry was leaving for the Army's Basic Training in two months. It was horrible when he left. We wrote letters just about every day and talked on the phone as often as possible (about once every two weeks). Before graduation, Jerry broke his foot and could not complete his run. He was sent to another camp for another month before he finally came home, just two days before Christmas. He had been gone for five very long months. While long distance can sabotage some relationships, the distance only made ours grow stronger. When he returned, we were inseparable once again. And we have been for the past year and a half. Because of this relationship, I believe in Fate. Jerry and I met once (during the interview) but since we didn't understand then, Fate had to bring us together a second time (at our friend's house). We were meant to be together in spirit AND body, so Fate had His way with Jerry and sent him home from the Army. I also never used to believe in "soul mates" because I felt that there were many people someone could be compatible with. Now I realize that there are many people you can be compatible with, but there is only one that can know you inside and out, even better than you know yourself. Jerry is this person for me. He knows what I'm feeling, he knows what I'm going to say next, he even knows what I'm thinking most of the time. It takes a while to get this way, but it's an amazing feeling when you have a relationship like this. It's been over two years since Jerry and I shared our first kiss on that bridge. Two whole years since I found my soulmate. And it was fate that brought us together. Perfect for each other!! by Liz Fox We met through some personal ad that I had put out online in July of 2000 because I was feeling aloney! I didn't expect for anyone to respond to me, but he did and he sounded so real. I had just gotten over a broke up of an online relationship so I wasn't sure if I was ready, but we chatting and e-mailed alot!! Finally right when I thought I was ready, I backed out on him. And decided we need to talk on the phone for me to feel ready! It took us awhile to really talk. I backed out on him 2 more times before we met for real. It was my christmas break and I was sick of leading him on. He had stayed close to me no matter what I had done to him. He deserved a chance. So one night one yahoo messager we spent 4 hours chatting about anything and everything. It was odd I could just type and I didn't worry about what it was. I told him that I wanted to meet and he said sure. So on January 7 we were going to meet. As the day came quickly we spent hours each night on the phone talking, and I knew that he was going to be something special. When we met things were great! We took things slow, but now we have been together for 8 months and he has already gone to Boot Camp for the Navy and we lasted through that! Now he is stationed in South Carolina and we talk and I know we will always be togther. He is my soulmate! Its been fun! I love him soooo much! Notes From The Author: One word soulmates. by Tiffany It was June 2001, on lovingyou.com where I met my JoeBlack. He was so nice and so open, we got along so well. We kept in touch, more and more he wanted to speak with me, more and more my heart beated when I saw him online. we exchange phone numbers, where I was so scared butyet I trusted him, we talked, few monthes later Joe told me he loved me, I loved him to, but him being the guy to first say it I was scared, did not know if this was all true. October is nearly here and we are still online and phone couple, and we still love and we are still keeping the power of love alive, he and I know that soon we will be together, and our lives will begin and we will be so happy to have found one another. I know that I am thankful to this site and I know that online love is possible and so true. Until I know more of us and we meet in person wich will be soon, please return here for a second story of my online love. thank you and keep believing, and be strong no matter how hard it is for you. Tiffany Ried, joe Black I love you:) xoxoo MY BETTER HALF by ERIKA GONZALEZ On a cool October night I met my true love on a dateline. Although, I didn't feel that way then. But we had so much in common, I can remember him finishing my sentences since the first time we talked. I can even remember him telling his friend he had meet his SOULMATE. But at that moment neither of us wanted a relationship, he was leaving to the Marines, and I was content alone. But then we met in person, everything changed! The more and more time we spent together the more we realized that we completed eachother. He brings out the best in me. My view on life completely changed, and as it turns out Eddie didn't leave to the Marines after all. Which meant he was here to stay with me. As time went by we faced hard obstacles, but they only made us stronger. We learned from our mistakes and found a bestfirend in one another. Almost a whole year later we now have a beautiful son named Elijah and I can now proudly call Eddie my husband. We have come a long way, and people might say we rushed into things, but what better way to do it than to go head first. Eddie completes me, he's the one person I want to grow old with. I know that in Eddie I have found my SOULMATE, MY BETTER HALF, AND MY BEST FRIEND. Looking back on that October night I can remeber thinking that talking on that dateline was pathetic and a waste of time. If I've learned anything from Eddie and that one October night it would have to be that it's good to take chances, you never know if it will lead you into the arms of your SOULMATE. My Best Friend... by autumn We've talked for hours until we've looked at the clock and in amazement cannot believe where the time went. He's made me laugh so hard the tears just poor down my face, and my stomach hurts. I start sentences, and he finishes them, and vice versa. He knows my every thought, my feelings...my fears. He's been my best friend for the past few years, and even though I've tried to hide my feelings from him, he's always known somehow. We live so far apart from each other, but when I sit alone and think of him which is often, I can feel him. I know when he's sad, and I know when something makes him laugh. I save inside of myself all this love that I want to give only to him...my best friend, and I wonder if fate or destiny or the man above will someday bring us together. He's the man I can see myself growing old with. The man that I can reach across a table and hold his hand, and without a single word being spoken, can tell him what my heart is feeling.I want him to see my tenderness and my soul, and I want only him to be the keeper of it all. He is my best friend and I love him with all of my heart. My Soul Mate - My Husband by Nani It's funny how we ended up together... I met Danny at a party here in NJ (he's from NY). Initially he was interested in my sister and I was interested in his best friend. However, we soon found out that his friend was not interested in me and my sister was not interested in him. So, we got to talking about how our lives stunk! We hung out together, talked together and eventually found ourselves thinking about each other! I didn't want to let that happen because he was 3 years younger than me, but I just couldn't stop thinking about him!! Well, he came over one day and that night, we kissed each other good night. That did it! We began dating September 4th, 1999 and got engaged November 25th, 2000. And we got married September 22nd, 2002!!! Danny has been the most loving person I have ever met! Not only is he sweet and considerate, but he's funny and kind, he appreciates everything in life and he's such a wonderful, trustworthy friend! Not only all that, but he cooks!! We've been together for over 2 years and I still love him as much as I always have and that love grows even more every day, with every kiss, every loving look, every touch - every everything!! I love coming home to him and spending time with my soul mate. There are not enough hours in the day for me to enjoy the love of my life. I can't wait to spend eternity with him!! What is the secret for our happiness? I'll sum it up in 3 words - love, respect and communication. Loving each other as our own bodies, respecting each other as the Bible sets out for us, and communicating everything so that there is never any confusion with anything (and this avoids arguing too!!).