Soul Mates - just an idea?

I was having a conversation with my friend today (Ourania, that's you) and it started getting pretty deep, talking about soul mates and destiny and what-not.

Many people cannot answer the question, "do you believe in soul mates?" They either brush it off with an "I don't know", or explain that they like/dislike the idea of having a soul mate, usually followed by something like, "what if I never find them?" No one seems to be able to give a solid answer, which is probably due to the fact that there isn't one. However, I was pondering the thought of a soul mate and it crossed my mind that many people fall in and out of love more than once in their lives, with the operative word being out. I've seen it, and it doesn't always seem to me that the new love is stronger than the last... it's just that the old love isn't there anymore.

When people marry, they promise to love, honour and obey (and fill up the dishwasher once in a while) for as long as they both live. While this is a lovely idea, it's not like people take it seriously anymore. I don't know why people don't just move onto Handfasting instead these days, because then they would only have to promise to be a couple for as long as the love lasts.

So, while I was talking about people being in love and having 'the one', it occurred to me that everyone takes for granted that 'soul mates' have to be lovers. I don't see anything in the name that dictates that. Perhaps soul mates don't have to like each other at all, or even acknowledge each other. To me, soul mates means two souls that are drawn to each other for some reason. Maybe this just means these two people need to be in one another's lives at some point, to put them in the right direction, or to cause them to make a mistake which in turn will be for the best. Something like that. Who says they have to be in love at all?

I've said before that I believe everything happens for a reason, although I believe we do have choices of our own to make. In the case of soul mates, I just don't know. Have I met mine already? Can they really exist? I'm one of those 'I believe in the supernatural' types so... maybe I do believe in them. All I know is, when I was thinking about them today, I most definitely did not.

But hey, a girl can change her mind can't she?

I'd really like to know your thoughts.