How many times have you been in love?

[Bardie]

Just curious. I’m 50 and have been in love three times. First love as a teenager- a lovely guy but after a few years we broke up. Then in my twenties the man I married and had children with, then divorced. Then the man I met post -divorce who left me after 6 years. Hoping there’s another one still to come…

Three kids. ❤️❤️❤️

I'm 42 (today) and I don't think I've ever properly been in love. I was engaged for a long time and have had a couple of serious relationships, but I think I was in love with the idea of what we could be rather than the person themselves. I'm still hopeful that it might happen for me but realistically, probably not. How morose!

Properly? Once, with DH, been together 15 years. I ‘loved’ a few others , including DS’ dad , to a degree, but not like this: I was 36 when we met. Have hope everyone …

@Frith2013 ditto

I’m 53 and altho I’ve dated tons I’ve only been in love twice. Once from 18-21 and then 38-41. Both of them broke my heart. I dated for a couple years after the last break up and even tho we were together for a couple of years I didn’t love him. I don’t have the energy or heart to go thru the dating process or being hurt again so have been single for 10 years and will stay that way.

I would say twice but to paraphrase King Charles......."whatever love is"

First love when I was 18 & she was 16. Split up after 3.5 years. She was still a virgin when we broke up.

Second was my 2nd wife. Didnt really realise until we got divorced how much I loved her.

1st wife I cant say I loved as such. Very fond of though.

Last 11 years I have been in an "on/off" relationship that was more FWB than anything else. Again, very fond of but not love as I know it.

47 years old- Twice. Once in my 20s and he broke my heart. Dated and a few long term relationships but I knew st the time if it ended with any of them I’d be okay because nothing could hurt like my first love. Then along came my last love- almost 8 years together and he ended it a year ago. I’m still trying to pick up the pieces. I LOVED this man with everything I had and I really appreciated him because I know how rare it is to feel that way- that authentic love. I wanted to grow old with him. I’m not sure I have the strength to love someone again ❤️‍🩹

Twice. The only 2 guys I’ve ever been with. First was my first boyfriend at age 16, lasted until I was 32. Second was my second boyfriend at age 35, broke up after 6 years last year. Both broke my heart, both I could have had forever with. Second one was the love of my life. Doubtful I’ll meet anyone else, I have no desire to. To me, love is all the euphoric feelings and desire, plus only wanting them, plus sacrifical - if this person was in an accident and wasn’t themselves anymore, disabled, maybe brain damaged, would I tenderly care for them always excluding all others? Love is getting through everything together. I felt all of that passion and commitment for those two guys at different stages of my life.

From the moment I met my first husband I was totally obsessed with him.
I did every thing for him. Totally messed up my life because I was so obsessed with him.

I've not seen him now for 30 years but the fall out from the relationship still impacts me and I still think about him regularly.

But I don't even know if I would say I was "in love" with him.

If that's what being " in love" is then I'm glad I've not felt it for anyone else. I cared deeply about my second husband, but I know I wasn't "in love" with him.

Also 45 - 3 times.

As a young teen I fell in love with an older boy. Proper head over heels, can’t eat or sleep, thunderbolts. This continued for years and he was really lovely to me but not interested. I’m always grateful for his kindness to me as I truly ‘spread my dreams under his feet’ as Yeats put it. I see him from time to time now as we live in the same town and my stomach still lurches, even though he looks like a very ordinary middle-aged man and not the 18 year old Adonis of my memory!

Had a relationship when I was 16/17 and that was love, for me at least. We wouldn’t have worked well together long-term but it was fabulous at the time.

When I hear people being dismissive of teen romances, it makes me sad as these were such powerful, life-changing feelings for me.

Met my now DH in my 20s and slowly fell very deeply in love with him. Luckily he felt the same way. We are happily married with 3 DCs and I am grateful for him every day.

Twice. My first bf at 18. Then my husband at 19 who I am still married too 20 yrs later

Twice. Too late for me now.

Many times, I fall in love very easily.

Potentially twice but I think the second time was more than the first.

Once. It wasn't my (ex) husband.
Unfortunately it has made me think that if I've only connected to someone properly once in 51 years, the chances of it happening again are very minimal. But then again, I'm not willing to settle ever again either!

How do you know? I mean apart from lust, hw do you know when it's real love?

I’ve had 2. My first one was in early 2023 we met. At first I admit I didn’t think I was too keen on him, he was really complimentary, and really into me and I found it hard to take but after a few times of meeting I completely changed my mind. I was so in love with him. I mean head over heels in love. He then went through a bad spell mentally and ended the relationship suddenly, after like 9 months, I know why but honestly I was devastated. Then last July I met my current partner just by chance I was absolutely not wanting to be with anyone else but agreed to 1 date and the rest is history. He is the best person, and I am truly in love with him. It didn’t come as quick for me as it did him, I was very very guarded but once I relaxed the love came. X

I don't really know what 'love' is in the romantic sense. When I think back to the people I thought I was in love with, I realise that what I really felt was lust. I didn't feel lust for very long, so it clearly wasn't love. Whatever that is.

I always felt that it was true what they say about being in love (and they say the same for having an orgasm!)... if you have to ask whether you've felt it, then you haven't really felt it.
For me, 2 times. Once in my early 20s, a relationship that broke me and made me in equal measures.
Then in my late 20s, to my DH. Been together now almost 9 years.