Soulmates- Part 2

In my first post, I may have scared a few of you off, being too spiritual/weird/finite in my consideration of what defines a soulmate.  There are so many definitions and interpretations of the word, and of course, we all have our own ideas on this subject.  I'm sure that there are many out there who do not believe in the idea of soulmates at all, and, believe it or not, I'm okay with that, because I sometimes wonder, myself.

I guess what I was trying to say before is, if you're going to believe in the word, you should believe in the higher (yet, deeper), soul-related, historical version of that word, rather than the "we work great together, ergo, we are soulmates" version of the word.

There are many questions that arise with the concept of soulmates and those who struggle to believe.

Is it okay if I don't end up with my soulmate, or have I copped out and settled?
If I only believe in living one lifetime, what if I fail to find my soulmate?  Is he/she out there somewhere, wandering alone and disappointed?
What if I marry someone and meet my soulmate after that?
I thought I married my soulmate, but we have divorced/he or she has passed away/I was wrong.  Do I still have another chance?  What if my soulmate married someone else?
I haven't found anyone even close to seeming like a soulmate.  Is this bad karma?  Are you sure I'm goin gto meet him or her?
I am married to/in a committed relationship with someone, and, though we have struggled at times, I feel that the struggles have bonded us and made us truly connected.  Is it okay to say this is my soulmate?

Of course, there are plenty of "answers" to these questions on-line and in research papers.  One of the types of soulmates defined is that of "companion"  and/or "twin" soulmates.  This is when you have a deep connection to another person (often same sex) but it may be contained within a friendship or mentor relationship.  It may be another soul who you have met in a previous lifetime (if you believe in that), and you have met again and thus are connected.  While I do tend to believe in these connections, I think "soulmate" is the incorrect word to utilize here.  Maybe "soulfriend" would be better.

Another type of soulmate is defined in a theosophy type version, in which soulmates spend many lifetimes searching for each other, and when each has finally paid all their "karmic debt", they can finally be reunited.  This sounds a little depressing to me, and I've chosen to kind of discard that version.

Anyway, I don't know all the answers to the questions.  I think that actual soulmates joining is a rare thing, and that's it's possible to still love someone deeply and connectedly even if the keeper of the Soulmate Records (I'm making this up) hasn't placed a checkmark next to your name just yet.  I don't know if soulmates exist, but I'd like to think that they do.  I'd like to think that the idea of "true" love exists.  You know, like the kind in "The Princess Bride."  Go watch it.

P.S. there is something wonky with the background color, I think I must have copied/pasted something wrong.  It's driving me nuts.  Anyway, please ignore it.