Love at first sight is not very practical, but when you meet that special someone it just feels right. These people reveal how they knew that they found the person they married.
u/Kynsade asks:
Married Redditors: How was your spouse different from any of your exes when you were dating? How did you know they were "it"?
When the love keeps you sticking around
I never got sick of being around her. 16 years and I haven't yet. I can remember dating other women and just wishing I could be anywhere else.
When the conversation flows
I didn't have to try coming up with things to talk about. I didn't pretend like I was really cool, I wasn't shy about my honest opinion, I was able to be fully myself with this person, and it was so easy.
I also felt no social energy being drained from hanging out with him, and still don't. Both of us just knew. Still better than ever 8 years later. 😊
A clean track record
I can always assume that she means the best in everything she says or does. It's been over 10 years and she hasn't let me down yet.
When the typically annoying things bring comfort
When your biggest relationship worry is that the snoring has always pushed others away, but she said on the first night, "Your snoring is like a comfort blanket to me. I slept like a baby knowing you were there with me."
When loyalty is priority
I had a pretty bad accident, was hospitalized for over a month and we didn't know if I was going to live, or ever walk again. He stayed when sh*t really hit the fan. He bathed me, dressed me, wiped my butt. The whole nine.
Communication is key
She wasn't playing games. She didn't insult or attack me just because she was angry. When she does get upset with me, she is able to communicate with me and doesn't just passive-aggressively assume I should know what's wrong.
A trip away tells all
I knew he was the one when we went away for the weekend together for the first time and I realized I actually enjoyed being with him and didn't want to kill him by the end of the weekend...
When they go above and beyond
My father passed away very unexpectedly and we had been dating for only 6 months at the time. He flew across country to be with me and my family (whom he hadn't met yet), bought meals for us, mowed the lawn, replaced my sister's worn down tires, did laundry, picked up family members from the airport. All the little details that needed attention were the things he took care of so me and my family could greive. I couldn't imagine anyone else I had dated before doing something like that.
Home is where the heart is
I could be completely myself, felt completely at ease and at home with him and wasn't at all worried about what to talk about and what I needed to do to keep him interested in me. I felt like I was in an equal, healthy, respectful and loving partnership and knew he would always be super loyal, committed and there for me.
When you can't get enough
Honestly? I didn't get sick of him.
I know that sounds random, but in all of my previous relationships, there came a point where they became grating, or things I'd previously found normal became insufferable over time, or I'd realize that things I'd overlooked early on really shouldn't have been overlooked (e.g. my one ex who happened to have a love of drinking beer while driving his truck).
When I started dating my hubs, I was pretty sure I'd eventually tire of some aspect of him, or begin to find a flaw or three that would grow and become unbearable over time. But I never did. He has flaws, but they're just... part of him, you know?
Sometimes you just know
This is such a great question that I always wondered as a single person. "How would I know if this person was the one?" I guess I can answer that now. I know it's probably different for everyone. My SIL and BIL dated for two years as a trial run and then said if they were together for two years they'd get married. Seems kinda strange to many, but 20+ years later it seems to work well for them. For me and my now husband, we just knew almost right away. I can't describe the feeling well—I knew he was different the first date. I had a real connection with him on the "I find him attractive but honestly I just love talking to him" level. I just knew if we were to actually be in a relationship we would get married. A couple weeks in we were in love and I knew this was it. And it was. It's a mixed bag of influences; the attraction of course, the way he was so solid in everything—his kindness in every way, the way he made me laugh, his intelligence, our deep talks, everything about him just fit into me. I could tell his feelings and words and actions were genuine, this wasn't a game, and this was real for him like it was for me. Ah, I love that man. I'm gonna go tell him again
When a mix tape does the trick
He made me a mix tape. I listened to nothing else for weeks. Twenty years later I still perceive the opening to Operation Mindcrime as a love song. :D
Reliability can seal the deal
The biggest difference in my SO was his consistency. Texted and called consistently. Showed up for plans. He's reliable and he was always all in. To him, we were always a team and he refused to walk away from that.
Independence and support
It became clear early on that he thought of me as a complete person with my own independent path and not a girlfriend-shaped presence in his life who only existed to fit into it on his terms. He supported me without first thinking about what it meant for him, and took me for what I was without making it about him. We started dating at 21, and that was depressingly rare in other guys I had dated up until that point.
Nice guys get the girl
He was never mean to me. He never said things to hurt my self-esteem, when he was feeling low or we were in a fight. I felt emotionally safe with him. And, he is incredibly smart. I always did (and still do) love talking to him. He says things that change my mind, make me think, puts things in a new light. That was probably the thing that made me want to marry him, I knew I'd never be bored.
Let her be!
He just let me BE. It sounds really simple, but it isn't.
Being a woman you don't realize how much criticism you get from male partners until it's gone. In every other relationship I had ever had I was constantly told things like "you should grow your hair out" "I like it when you wear X". I was also expected to take care of all domestic duties even though I generally worked more then my partners. And at the time it genuinely didn't bother me. I thought that was just the way of things.
Listening makes all the difference
He actually listened to me when I talked, and if we had any sort of disagreements we'd talk it out. In the almost 8 years together we have never raised our voice or cussed each other out. We've had some "major" disagreements but we never had a fight -- we had a talk.
When you are telepathic
I didn't have an "idea" of us that I tried to make us fit into. We pretty much shared and still share a brain. We lived almost 2 hours away from each other but would often text each other the same thing at the same time. We'd be in the car together and one of us would say something and it would be the same thing the other was thinking. I had never had that with anyone. And when we fought we were always able to resolve it easily because our communication and honesty was always really open and easy.
A deep understanding is a clear sign
I asked my supervisor about this. She looked at me for a moment, then dipped her head back down with a smile and said, "I thought about it, and there's really no one else I would rather spend my life with. We broke up once and we still found our way back. We were long-distance for two years and we survived that. He knows me. Like, he really knows me. He's romantic without being provoked. He just wants to treat me right. We just really understand each other."
When they make you a better version of yourself
It was apparent right away that she made me a better person. I had always been a good person and always employed, but being with her made me want to do more.
When you respect their respect
Lots of things, but the one that I've been able to note through the years is her self-respect which consequently leads me to respect her as well, which is crucial during those certain moments in a relationship.
When you come from two diffferent worlds
We've been married 49 years, August 2. On our first date I knew she might be the one. Any girl that could eat a hamburger faster than I did was a keeper. She was everything I wasn't, danced in college plays, played an instrument, knew the classics, cultured. I was just a dumb farm boy that didn't even know when to walk in a crosswalk. She was a Spanish education major and I was an animal science major. She had a great sense of humor and very intelligent. I'm sure her folks thought I was the biggest hick ever. It apparently turned out ok after 4 kids and 49 years later.
When you want them with or without an arm
She fell off a balcony and shattered most of the bones in her arm. I didn't know if she'd lose it or not until they wheeled her out of surgery and I saw she got to keep it. But while I was waiting I realised none of it mattered.
When they help you grow
The first couple of times we hung out, we sat and talked for hours. We had a ton in common, and he was really easy to talk to. But I think the main thing that set him apart from others that I dated was that I felt comfortable just being myself with him. I was jaded in many ways from a lot of previous experiences in my life, and he allowed me the comfort to confront some of my own issues, to grow beyond things I had held myself back from.
Sometimes it takes a little push
She demanded respect from me. She wouldn't tolerate any games or non commitment because she knew she was worth it. She did not put up with my bulls***. I fell in line, and I fell in love.
When she has your crotch covered
I got a new dog that had a bad habit of jumping paws first directly on my crotch whenever I was sitting on the couch. I'd kind of developed a reflex to cover said crotch whenever the dog would start to lunge my way. One day, I was sitting next to my girlfriend (now wife) on the couch and had a drink in one hand and the remote control in the other. When the dog jumped towards me, my girlfriend covered my crotch for me. That was it. I knew.
When they show you real love
I know this sounds lame but being with him made me realize I was never actually in love before. What I have with him is real love. He's patient. He's giving. He's gentle. He's selfless. He's honest. He treats everyone with respect and nobody has a bad word to say about him. I love him more than I've ever loved anything. :)
When they take everything as is
Well, first of all, just to get to the premise of your question - that somehow when I met (or came to know my husband) I saw he had what all the others lacked and saw he was "it" or "the one." I don't believe in this concept, I think there are lots of "ones" and nobody is perfect or perfect for you - like Dan Savage says there is not settling down without settling for.
That said. The big things he had different than all my other exes is that he had no hang ups, no neuroses, no preconceived notions about relationships, what women should be like or what they should look like.
Vulnerability is key
He REALLY LIKED me. I have an anxious attachment style, and with others, I was always wondering where I stood with them. With him, he never shied away from telling me how much he liked me. It took me a few months to believe that was for real, but the willingness to be so vulnerable about feelings was a big deal to me.
When she accepts your herpes
We were long distance before and during dating. We had a visit scheduled. She was coming to see me for the first time since we met and we were pretty close to starting to date officially. From wrestling in high school, I contracted mat herpes and get an outbreak on my forehead about once a year. A couple days before she came to visit I got an especially bad outbreak. Nasty looking stuff on my forehead a little bigger than a silver dollar. Not only is it unsightly, but it has an especially negative connotation since most people associate the herpes virus with genital herpes, plus it's highly contagious via skin to skin contact. I was anxious for days about how I was going to tell her and hoping she wouldn't be too freaked out. I called her and tried to lay everything out, preparing for her to be really uncomfortable and put off.
Her response was "Oh that's it? Can I still cuddle you?"
Just the first of dozens of personal things that she blew me away with her acceptance of.
When you can fart loud and proud
On our second date, we where in his bed and having a good time. It was late night, we were talking like we'd known eachother for years, eventhough we had only just met for the first time a few days prior. All of a sudden he mentioned that he had a wild urge to fart. I said, "fire away". He farted like there was no tomorrow. I laughed so hard and a few seconds later let out my own gassy adventure. From that moment I knew, if both of us can be that relaxed and comfortable around eachother, it must be "it".
When it's really chill
My now husband and I started off as a sort of friends with benefits relationship, where we really liked each other too, however I was sure I was moving away as soon as possible, and he was in the midst of a divorce. Because of this, everything was super low key. I remember thinking to myself "I can't get mad at him for X issue because we're just really casual."
Well, that created an environment where we were just super straightforward with everything. There were no games or jealousy or expectations at all, we just hung out.
When the fun never ends
First date story: we met up at a bar and sat on the back patio and just talked to each other the whole night. Not a single moment of awkwardness and no small talk. Once the bar closed, we didn't want to say bye yet so we went to his house down the street. We stayed up all night baking cookies, watched Donnie Darko, and playing guitar. We never slept and I didn't leave until I had to go to class the next day. Staying up all night became a pretty regular thing for us because we were having too much fun just hanging out.
All it takes is some food and magic
When we were first dating I went over to her place, we had sex, smoked a joint then fell asleep. We both woke up around 2am and she brought be leftover chicken and fries in bed before we fell asleep again.
I knew she was the one that point. Happily married for 5 years now.
Well that was a close call. That is everyone's main life mantra. If you really think about it, you'll know it to be true. Everyday we live, is another day we've survived, and death isn't the only thing we frequently sidestep. I have lost track of the amount of times my heart has almost gotten me into trouble. If I had been able to be with the people I thought I wanted in the past, I'd be in a mental ward right about now. Dodging a bullet doesn't even begin to cover it.
Redditor u/Not-an-Ocelot wanted to hear about the times that have made people give some extra thanks by asking... What's the biggest bullet you've ever dodged?Pay Attention
<img lazy-loadable="true" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNTY4NDQyNC9vcmlnaW4uZ2lmIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY3MTEyMDI3OH0.BmVGAHwjbS_vMDkx2jetH_zBsPpphZ3tZp5VJjeyhD4/img.gif?width=980" id="0dcaa" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="0ab54e83bfb77d5fefdb176242259411" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="500" data-height="275" />joe jonas relief GIFGiphy<p>I was a teen driver not paying attention at an intersection at the crest of a hill with low visibility when the light turned green. </p>A Passed Mandate
<p>This one just materialized yesterday, actually.</p><p>About a year ago at my job I was offered to switch from my current team where I was established for a few years, had seniority, etc. for a new department that just started to kick it off, write processes, basically start from square 1. A lot more work for the same amount of pay. I figured forget it and went.<span></span></p>Too Many Idiots
<p>I took my wife to an indoor shooting range in 2014. I had been at this range many times, and safety was always their top priority. They made you sit through a safety video, take a quiz, and get a temporary certification before they allowed you onto the range.</p><ul><li>Place got really busy and their safety policy became less stringent as time went on.</li><li>I noticed that the lane next to us had 3 people in it (already a violation).</li><li>Two big guys and one tiny woman probably her in 20's. They were handing her various firearms and laughing when she couldn't handle the recoil (big violation there, and incredibly irresponsible).</li><li>This girl was muzzle-sweeping everyone (another huge violation)</li><li>I got a bad feeling, told my wife to pack it up because we were leaving</li><li>As soon as we started walking away, BANG, that girl had fired a round right where my wife was standing just a few seconds prior</li><li>I told the range officers that they needed to get in there and do something about those idiots, and that we weren't coming back</li></ul><p>I have only been to a range a few times since that happened, and now I don't even go at all. Too many idiots. </p><p><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/lqjmm8/whats_the_biggest_bullet_youve_ever_dodged/gohqu3v?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3" target="_blank"> A_Garbage_Account</a><a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/A_Garbage_Account/" target="_blank"></a></p>buzz CRACK buzz...
<p>I was out kayaking on a lake and several bullets whizzed by me. There was a distinct <em>buzz CRACK buzz</em> sound as it went by. I think some people were just out plinking in their back yard, adjacent to the lake, and didn't think a backstop was necessary. This also happened to me a few weeks later when I was paddling on a small stream. Bullets whizzed by above the bank, just over my head. <span></span></p>Flight 103
<p>I was booked on Pan Am flight 103 which went down over Locherbie Scotland. I didn't have a premonition or anything supernatural. I just decided to cancel my seat. Didn't think anything of it until the plane went down and my mother had written down my flight plan and reminded me. This was back in the day when you could cancel without a penalty up to a couple of days in advance.</p><p><strong><em>EDIT: </em></strong>You Know, when I posted my response I didn't realize how many comments I would get that involved people who were impacted by this sad event. <span></span></p>Zapped
<img lazy-loadable="true" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNTY4NDQ0MS9vcmlnaW4uZ2lmIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY0NDY0MjY1MX0.Dj7w7DePtmC1CgiaJwmNIifD129RWS3T3j5acsHBIiU/img.gif?width=980" id="d6220" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="b7cea1508bfde66080975250c5e9dcf1" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="480" data-height="266" />Season 4 Zap GIF by Rick and MortyGiphy<p>I was subletting an apartment in college and got zapped by the electric stove. Gave notice immediately and moved out with very clear reasons why I was moving out. The building burnt a few weeks later. </p><p><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/lqjmm8/whats_the_biggest_bullet_youve_ever_dodged/goi3ew7?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3" target="_blank">sadandshy</a></p>Katrina
<p>2005, my friend and I evacuated New Orleans 2 days before Hurricane Katrina and drove to Mississippi with the little money we had. We were trying to decided on where to stay for the night and it was between a mid range hotel or the really cheap motel. Decided to spend a little more for the hotel. During the night the eye of the storm came through Mississippi and flattened the roof of the motel we decided against. </p><p><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/lqjmm8/whats_the_biggest_bullet_youve_ever_dodged/gohyomx?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">kylexy929</a></p>Delete Tinder
<p>I matched with a guy on Tinder who played for the Atlanta Falcons. He was really charming and seemed nice. He asked me to fly down to Atlantic City for Memorial Day weekend, said he would pay for everything (airfare, hotel, food, etc.) but I had never met him before and he refused to give me his phone number. I was uncomfortable flying to meet a stranger so I told him no. Two weeks later he was on the news for kicking (and killing) his girlfriend's dog. </p><p><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/lqjmm8/whats_the_biggest_bullet_youve_ever_dodged/gohwwcf?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3" target="_blank">coldestjeans67</a></p>A Yamaha Pancake
<p>Physically? A bus. I grew up in Bermuda, and since it is such a small island cars are limited to one per family, and everyone drives mopeds. I was driving into town, and came up to a red light behind a bus. As is tradition, I scooted around the bus to be in the front of the line of traffic. Literally 2 seconds later a second bus smashed into the back of the first bus at like 30 mph.</p>D-I-V-O-R-C-E
<img lazy-loadable="true" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNTY4NDM0Ny9vcmlnaW4uZ2lmIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYzNTg5MDA0M30.mkwHiDROST0_hPO3i_EgY_PCWrX60u9MZ-c4FzHjZz0/img.gif?width=980" id="aa6ce" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="99ab09a1baf770607fa2d8286e6a574b" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="500" data-height="281" />phaedra parks bye felicia GIF by RealityTVGIFsGiphy<p>My ex.</p><p>He got engaged right after me and proceeded to cheat on her the entire time until she broke up with him. </p><p><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/lqjmm8/whats_the_biggest_bullet_youve_ever_dodged/gohy29x?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3" target="_blank">PlamEv</a></p>When your time is up, your time is up. And when we march off into the afterlife it feels like everyone wants one of two or two things. People want to go out in a blaze of glory and/or in peace and without pain. I don't know if both is possible but I'll choose option two please. What I know for sure is I definitely don't want to be smoted by a stupid death. Like, Lord, please don't let me die choking on fried chicken and an XL frozen Appletini at the Dallas BBQ because I was laughing to hard at my own jokes. Please.
Redditor u/BlueD_ wanted everyone to fess up about the times they almost met their maker in a less than dignified manner by asking... What's the dumbest way you almost died?Torn...
<p>Hooked shirt on roller coaster flying by while I was operating it.</p><p>Shirt tore but it threw me a meter onto track just behind it. I crawled off in time before it came back around. </p><p><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/lko2jl/whats_the_dumbest_way_you_almost_died/gnktz0m?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3" target="_blank">GottaGoSmash</a></p>The Lump
<p>Born with a lump in my throat that was blocking my airway. It was so bad that I was turning purple from air loss by 3 months old, but the doctors kept telling my mom they couldn't find anything wrong. Finally was rushed to children's hospital where they did emergency laser surgery to remove the lump. Almost died to complete incompetence, thankfully the people at children's were much more capable. </p><p><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/lko2jl/whats_the_dumbest_way_you_almost_died/gnktt1d?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3" target="_blank">Leroy_Spankinz</a></p>So Wrong...
<p>I was playing at some church camp as a teenager. They had us running around in the dark.</p><p>Well, they had a guy wire from a telephone pole in basically the middle of the forest and I ran into it at neck height.</p><p>You know in cartoons when someone runs into something and their feet fly up even with their body and they fall down? I'm pretty sure that happened to me.</p>the baby....
<p>I was born super premature and would apparently never stop crying and every doctor was just like "she's a baby, she's crying just because" until my parents took me to the children's hospital and then a doctor was like "yeah, she's dying. Surgery now." I was born with a double hernia. </p><p><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/lko2jl/whats_the_dumbest_way_you_almost_died/gnm5xj4?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3" target="_blank"> vampyreprincess</a><a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/vampyreprincess/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"></a></p>Just Walk
<p>Almost fell to my death from the second floor of an abandoned theater because I was running down a flight of stairs that are just cut off midway. Someone with the fastest reflex skills just grabbed me by my shirt and pulled my backwards.</p><p>Don't run in abandoned buildings. </p><p><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/lko2jl/whats_the_dumbest_way_you_almost_died/gnl26xv?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3" target="_blank">coldnymph</a></p>Evil Mango
<p>When I was 19, I ate a mango and it was a large piece and it got stuck in my throat. I started to choke. I found it hard to breathe and couldn't talk. My brother did the heimlich manuever on me and the mango came out. I laughed about it a minute later because imagine "defeated by mango" written as your reason for death. </p><p><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/lko2jl/whats_the_dumbest_way_you_almost_died/gnkx7o3?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3" target="_blank"> Spiderman230</a><a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/Spiderman230/" target="_blank"></a></p>The Day is Out
<p>Using a pickaxe while tired. Was using the flat end to break up dirt. It got stuck. I yanked it, causing my feet to slip on the dirt while I basically pulled myself straight down on the spike end. My arms shot out and I landed in a push up position with the tip less than an inch from my chest.</p><p>I called it a day after that. </p><p><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/lko2jl/whats_the_dumbest_way_you_almost_died/gnlkzi1?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3" target="_blank">ProbablyYourButt</a></p>Do Vodka
<p>I was very sad and drank lots and lots of rum. I woke up covered in vomit all over my bed, I had probably vomited multiple times in my sleep. I was alone.</p><p>I could have choked on my spew and died.</p><p>I avoid rum now. </p><p><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/lko2jl/whats_the_dumbest_way_you_almost_died/gnlcg7n?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3" target="_blank">writingwithmovement</a></p>NEVER!
<p>I felt incredible pain in my abdomen and laid in bed a week hoping it would go away. By the time I asked to go to the hospital I was in Sepsis. I was out of my head in pain, couldn't eat, high fever, etc.</p><p>Apparently I had a bout with diverticulitis. I had no idea what that was. Mine perforated and my white blood cell count was insane. The perforation was pouring toxins into my body cavity. They didn't do surgery, they only ran a tube down in my back to drain the 'death sludge' from my body. My kidneys and my bladder were trying to shut down. I'll never forget that pain for as long as I live.<span></span></p>In the Shallow...
<img lazy-loadable="true" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNTY4MDY0OC9vcmlnaW4uZ2lmIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY0MDAxOTk3Mn0.UFH9fBx9qg1viY44abzSICqYdsMRrU2ep9zMiWwgRIc/img.gif?width=980" id="c2bd9" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="5ea60e1b2ffcfafbe156c7564d4eccb5" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="480" data-height="270" />Lady Gaga Oscars GIF by SkyGiphy<p>Played in the shallow waters of a lake before knowing how to swim, father told me not to go further in and being the stupid rebellious child i was i immediately went in further and sank just as quick. luckily my father was watching and a former lifeguard, so he jumped in in full clothing and pulled me out.</p><p>the next day my parents bought me floaties. </p><p><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/lko2jl/whats_the_dumbest_way_you_almost_died/gnkvz1j?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3" target="_blank">ArnoNyhm44</a></p>People Explain Which Things They Changed In Their Life That Made It So Much Better
We may not know it, but sometimes things that seem routine or are just one of our personal habits can really hold back our lives.
One little change to cut those things, or to include new things, can really change the quality of our lives for the better. We have to be willing to drop old routines, which is hard and scary; and we need to be willing to accept new ideas into our space, which is also hard and scary.
New Body Parts
<p>The kidney transplant I just received on Monday (Feb 15, 2021).</p><p><a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/wanderingwiccan/" target="_blank">wanderingwiccan</a></p><p>It's amazing isn't it? Going on 17 years with mine and couldn't agree more. I'll never forget how miserable I was when my kidneys were failing and I started dialysis. </p><p>Those memories serve as added motivation to keep healthy now. Life is good. Best wishes to you moving forward!</p><p><a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/realTurdFergusun/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">realTurdFergusun</a></p>Out Vs. In
<p>Giving up on trying to cure being a introvert and just being happy</p><p><a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/RedditerAbc123/" target="_blank">RedditerAbc123</a></p><p>Introverts have just as much fun there are just fewer witnesses</p><p><a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/minisis85/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">minisis85</a></p><p>Accepting yourself is truly liberating.</p><p>There's one important aspect of being an introvert or extrovert. As an introvert, you recharge by being alone. Extroverts recharge by being around people.</p><p>I occasionally enjoy being around people, and I'm good at being social. I even perform music in public. However, when I'm done with all that, I go home and have to unwind. If I go long periods of time without enough alone time, I start getting progressively more irritated and frustrated.</p><p>I actually feel happy and at peace when I'm alone. Other people will tell me they feel lonely, or like their apartment feels empty. For me it's a direct source of happiness, this isolation and peace. I don't want a family, a partner or even pets. I don't even like hearing neighbors around. Solitude is freedom.</p><p><a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/sunsetdive/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">sunsetdive</a></p>Git That Mental Health
<p>I did therapy for around three years, and I recommend it to folks to try at least once in their life. It can take a little time, as a lot of it comes down to having the right therapist who can get through to you, (advice: if you need to switch to a diff. Therapist or, at any time want to simply take a week or two off, during the process- voice that to your therapist.)</p><p>Wishing you all the best on your journey, there were times I'd second guess myself if it was "working" right away, but trust the process, you'll take a lot from the experience & learn a ton about yourself!</p><p><span></span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/Puzzleheaded_Stress7/" target="_blank">Puzzleheaded_Stress7</a></p>I Am Not Everybody's Parent
<p>I stopped caring so much.</p><p>For as long as I remember I've felt a burden of responsibility to my parents, my brother, to myself. Throughout my whole life my parents have relied on me to be the voice of reason, to be the one who has sound mind, to be the one good with finances, to give them advice. It's not healthy for a kid to be put under that kind of pressure, and it just built and built until they filed for bankruptcy in 2017, and when I burned out at work last year.</p><p>I went to therapy for a bit (for the 3rd time lol) after I burned out and realized that I'm putting up such a high bar of responsibility for myself and it makes, and made, my life ridiculously miserable.</p><p>I'm still working and going to school, but having a more relaxed attitude and almost forcing myself to procrastinate on my schoolwork has made my life so much more enjoyable.</p><p><a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/CozysMyName/" target="_blank">CozysMyName</a></p>The Superpower Of Sobriety
<p>Quitting alcohol. My life has completely changed in only the best ways. Most notably Ive accomplished all of my dreams.</p><p> I went back to school and earned my bachelor's, found the love of my life and got married, lost a bunch of weight and somehow look like I've aged backwards. Now my only problem is coming up with new dreams.</p><p><a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/Billlliejean/" target="_blank">Billlliejean</a></p>A Career Separate From Hostile Energy
<p>For years I was convinced I chose the wrong career, and I was getting extreme anxiety, had to pull the car over a couple times going to work because of panic attacks. </p><p>Lockdown happens a year ago and all my stress disappeared and I realized I love my career, I just HATE office living and commuting. My biggest fear is the pandemic ending and being forced back into that terrible office culture.</p><p><a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/feral_philosopher/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">feral_philosopher</a></p>Just Space To Remember
<p>I've found that journaling helps me remember stuff a lot better. Also, on bad days, I get the catharsis of ranting without having to subject one of my friends to it. </p><p>I can also look back on past events and maybe figure out how I can do things differently or just reminisce. </p><p>Getting my feelings on paper or even a word document helps me deal with things, somehow. I stopped when things got real around last March since writing "I didn't do much today" every day was getting old.</p><p><a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/Soulfire1123/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Soulfire1123</a></p>Just A Better Life
<p>My biological mother is an abusive drug addicted, alcoholic who put everything, including her other daughter, above her youngest child. </p><p>When i was 11, child services placed me with my Dad and his partner (my Mum, for all purposes of the word except birthing.) </p><p>In Australia, previously I was in N.Z. Its been a bumpy road, but I'm now 19, living out of home, have my license, own car, stable job and am studying at uni. I couldn't have done it without my parents, and i have the loving, caring, supportive Mum I craved as a child.</p><p>There was ten minutes where i didnt know if i was going into foster care or with my Dad, and it was the scariest ten minutes of my life, but ultimately that decision was the best thing that happened to me.</p><p><a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/lildee_19/" target="_blank">lildee_19</a></p>Physical = Mental
<p>Losing a significant amount of weight. My overall health is so much better. I sleep like the dead every night, when before I suffered badly from insomnia. </p><p>My blood pressure has come down to normal levels. I'm no longer pre-diabetic. I have cut back on the amount of medication I have to take, which obviously means I have money to spend that I didn't before. </p><p>I love exercising, even when I was morbidly obese, I enjoyed walking. Now I enjoy walking and I can walk so much further and faster than I could before. Another thing is the major change in my mental health. I was in a very dark space, and I realized the other day how much more positive my outlook in life has become.</p><p>10/10 reccomend. My journey has been slow, but it has been so worth it!</p><p><a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/Smart-Connection6154/" target="_blank">Smart-Connection6154</a></p>A Partnership For The Ages
<p>Finally telling my best friend that I was in love with them. We've been dating for two years now and every moment is like living in a dream. They're sitting next to me right now cluelessly singing out loud with headphones in and I'm OBSESSED.</p><p>Also, Covid has allowed me to drive around the country while working remotely and actually do a lot of the hikes that have always been on my bucket list. It really changed my life by reaffirming my long term goals (stay healthy, get outdoors when I can).</p><p><a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/sodapuppy/" target="_blank">sodapuppy</a></p>Wedding Industry Professionals Break Down How They Knew A Couple Was Destined For Divorce
The photographers, DJs, officiates, and planners of the wedding industry hold a unique perspective.
They get to witness the lead-up to the couple's important, deeply symbolic day. Sitting at the table in that context offers those industry professionals a glimpse of the mundane dynamics of couples before the big event.