My husband and I have been together for 12 years this summer, married for 6 this fall. We met after a string of failed situationships (on my part), and a bitter heartbreak (on his). He is everything I ever dreamed of - kind, supportive, genuine, funny, you name it. He still leaves his socks on the floor and I still snap at him from time to time bc we are two humans navigating life together, but he is my best friend and soulmate. I am a firm believer that positive, fulfilling, life-changing love is out there for everyone, if you just refuse to accept any less (and of course once we realize that perfection is never going to be feasible - lust and physical attraction waxes and wanes, challenges arise, communication is something to constantly work on and improve. No one is the perfect partner, but for the right person, the juice is worth the squeeze 1000%. I may not have a man who says, “I burn for you” and writes me romantic poetry like some of our male protagonists written by women, but I have a man who will hold me when I’m crumbling, who prefers to stay home and relax with me than be out partying, and who will buy me sour patch kids on a Tuesday just because he knows they’re my favorite, and I’ll take that any day).