What age did you meet the love of your life?

[Herewegoagain22]

I’m 33, had three long term relationships, but never been married or had kids. I would love nothing more than to settle down and find my ‘person’. I’m just out of a relationship where I got very hurt, and I’m taking a lot of time to focus on me and be on my own. But at 33, everyone around me is settling down, buying houses (I already own my own), getting engaged, marrying, announcing pregnancies. I just don’t think it will ever happen for me. I would be lying if I said seeing all this whilst I feel so shit isn’t making me envious, because it is.

What age did you all meet your ‘person’ and settle down? I know I’m only 33 but with everything I’ve gone through in my life I feel about 50.

27
We've been together 24 years, we've gone through a lot together but we have never stopped laughing and arsing about together.

My one came and went from 30-32. All the others have been a bit meh. I’m now 52.

17 and now 57. Wonderful years though and I never want to be parted.

17 but I wouldn't say he was the "love of my life" then. Getting together so young I'm not sure either of us were mature enough for that but we've sort of grown up together and shaped each other and I can't imagine being happier with anyone else so I suppose he is TLOML now.

@ArtemisiaGentle Sure you're not taking him for granted? I once left someone I felt I'd settled for, and who loved me more than I loved him, and I really regret it now. There is really a lot to be said for a stable relationship with someone who treats you well. I ended up in some horrible relationships after that, people who were hot and cold, some who were downright abusive, lived with someone who sniped and criticised me every single day. I had no idea how good I had it before, that my worst problem was he was a tiny bit dull. I think because I met him so young, I didn't realise how rare it is to find a man who is so thoughtful and kind. If I had met him later in life, I think I would have appreciated him much more.

@Rozziie In my 20s there was such pressure to find a boyfriend, get married and have kids, and that's what I focused on doing. But now, I wish I'd waited. I am a solitary type, introverted, shy, and I think there will come a time when DH's fussing and getting under my feet will tip me over the edge. We used to rub along fine but it's not going to last and I have accepted that for me, it was never "happy ever after". I might have more relationships in the future, I might not. But I'm not like my parents' generation who believed you got married and that's it. If you have found your soulmate that's fantastic but I think for many of us we marry someone who is kind to us and we make the best of it.

I'm 41 and haven't. I do have 2 dc and for a while it bought I had I guess but he pretty swiftly burst that bubble. Perfectly happy on my own now.

19. Unfortunately I wasn't the love of his life.

@ArtemisiaGentle I haven't found my soulmate, that's the point. I left someone who loved me and treated me well because I thought I could find someone with more of a 'spark' and maybe a bit more in common, and all the relationships I had after that were much worse. I feel like I met him too early in life...knowing what I know now, I'd snap someone like that up in a heartbeat. If you feel like you'd be happier alone, fair enough. I just know a lot of people who left lovely partners thinking they could do better and then ended up alone, scrolling on dating apps and being ghosted :/

19. Lasted just over 2 decades before he broke my heart but still can't imagine finding anyone I'll love as much as I did him - but am trying

I was 20 going on 21 it was a blind date that my friend set up. Never thought we would be now married with children and a house. We clicked straight away felt like I always knew him, sounds stupid but true.

Forgot to say we will be 17 years together this week.

@hilariousnamehere

I decided at 28, after two good relationships, that I just didn't want another one. Built my life solo and have never been happier 😁 am 35 now and friends are also marrying, settling down and having children at a rate of knots and it's very restful to just watch and not worry about it.

Various friends of mine have met their person up to and including age 67 though 💙

You had 2 good relationships. Why did you then decide no more?

20, Been together for 28 years! Still feel the same about him that I did then

36

46 and during the pandemic

27, completely unexpectedly after coming out of a horrendous decade long relationship which bordered on abusive at times. Met my now DH when I was determined to take it slowly and enjoy being single - were living together after two months and engaged after six. Very happy.

Married 1st time at 19, and divorced ten years later, with Three Daughters,
Met and Married DH2 at 31 after a Whirlwind Romance that happened when l least expected it to, and we are still together after a long and reasonably happy Marriage today, with a total of 5 Daughters who are now all grown up.

Not sure if I believe in 'the one' or a soulmate. But I love my partner a lot and we met when I was 31. We dithered about for a couple of years, on again off again long distance. But once we started living together it all fell into place. Been living together for 5 years now, engaged and happy.

We were both 21! We’d both dated quite a bit before we met and we never felt this connection with anyone else. We just knew straightaway.

17. He was 23. It was like a lightning bolt for me... I never took my eyes off of him from that day and we're well into our 40s now with our kids just about all grown up. From bitter experience we know how old age can never be guaranteed but I'm praying we have decades left together.

I met the love of my life at 47 after 8 years single. I was expecting to spend the rest of my life as a single person but then life threw a curveball and i met a wonderful person.

I was 23. Had a couple of relationships that lasted a few months but once I met my now DH that was it.
17 years later and he's still the one and I can't see that changing. Each year our life together gets better and better.

I'm glad I met him at that age. Not too young to not know better, but still young enough that we could start our adult lives properly together. I'd had a few short term boyfriends, learned a few things and once I met DH it we settled down, then DH and I started our family after a couple of years together.

I was 17, he was 19. When I think back now we were way too intense too young. We fell head over heels and I cldnt see myself being with anyone else. I knew I wld marry him and we'd have a family.

We bought our first house when I was 22 and finally got married just before my 30th. Been together 18 yrs this year which just seems mad. We've got 2 little ones now and it's a mad house lol.

U never know what's around the corner though. I know a few folk met and married late thirties and have kids now too.