13 Mundane Times Older Adults Realized They Found Their "Soulmate" Early In Their Relationship

Who doesn't love a good romantic story? So when Reddit user u/LemonPigeon asked the r/AskOldPeople community: "What did your life partner do early on in the relationship that made you say, 'Yeah, they're the one?'" I figured it would be a great time to share some of the cutest love stories. Here's what some people had to say below.

1. "I was sick and wanted orange juice in a snowstorm. He walked to the store, but they only had the kind with pulp, and I hate pulp, so he walked home and strained the whole bottle with paper towels. 28 years together. It’s the little things."

2. "We were sitting in a movie theater waiting for the film to start. I looked over at her right as she stuffed a handful of popcorn in her mouth. She locked eyes with me, opened her mouth, said, 'Auuulghghlhh,' and let all of it fall out down her shirt, onto her lap, and on the floor. It was the weirdest shit, and I died laughing. 21 years later, here we are."

— u/scunish

3. "I was in a car crash, and my neck was broken. I was in a brace that elevated my chin and made it hard to eat with utensils because all I could see was the ceiling. She came over and spoon-fed me like a baby. I made a full recovery and clung to her like glue for the rest of her life. We were married for 33 years. A couple for about 38 years. She died in my arms in 2017. Janice, I still love you."

4. "I was 24, and I'd unknowingly contracted infectious hepatitis from an ex-girlfriend. Infectious hep takes two months before the worst symptoms hit. I met my wife-to-be about one month later. When the disease hit me full-on, it was wholly incapacitating. I had nowhere else to go but my parents at the time. Once I realized what I had, I had to tell everyone that I'd had close contact with during those two months. They were all horrified and essentially dropped out of my life and ran for the hills. It took me two months staying at my parents to recover, during which time, I was so jaundiced and so terribly ill that I almost died."

"I couldn't really blame my friends for abandoning me for having posed such a threat to them. It was a very lonely time for me. But the woman who was to become my wife and life partner of 51 years stayed in touch even after she found out. She called me regularly and sent letters.

One day, she came to visit me as I was recovering with a picnic basket filled with goodies and took me from my sickbed for a day in the sunshine. It was a wonderful day. I knew then that I had found someone who really cared for me at a time when all my so-called friends had shied away, and I had next to nothing to offer her in return but me.

Later, I had three babies at home with her and assisted at every birth. She was there for me when I needed it most, making it easy to devote my life to being there for her. She was the one for me, and she still is. I love her more than mere words can express."

— u/SnakebyteXX

5. "I grew up with a very restricted diet for religious reasons. When I met my (now) husband, I had started eating a broader range of foods but still wasn’t venturing out too far. He wanted to help me get comfortable with experimenting with new foods, so he made me a deal: when we went out to a restaurant, I would order something new to try for myself, and I would order him the safe dish I knew I would enjoy and would have otherwise ordered. And if I didn’t like the new dish, we would trade. It is still just an amazingly creative and thoughtful gesture. Together for 26 years and counting."

6. "He called me shortly before our first date to ask if I could drive as his car had caught on fire. I freaked out, asking if he was okay, etc, and he was just so calm and matter-of-fact about it. I picked him up at the mechanic’s, and we proceeded with the date, but the subject never came up again. Having been raised by a mother who craved and created drama, this amazed me. On paper, he was a mess. Recently divorced with kids and debt. But he was an honorable man who didn’t play games, didn’t do drama, and treated me like gold. That’s why we’ve been married for 31 years."

— u/katmcflame

7. "He beeped his horn at every bird standing on the road. Didn’t want to risk hurting one."

8. "It was the second date. I took her shopping for a used Honda a guy was selling in another part of town. The ad was in the newspaper, this was before cell phones. We got totally lost while test-driving the car and couldn't remember where the guy lived. We laughed and laughed, and I discovered being lost with her was the most fun I ever had. We ended up buying another newspaper at a grocery store and calling the seller from a pay phone, asking where he lived. I bought her a wrist compass to commemorate the event. Will be married 33 years next Sunday."

— u/vacuum_tubes

9. "I was a single mom with a two-year-old when I met my husband. We had seen each other a few times without my daughter around. He called and asked if I wanted to come over, watch movies, and have pizza. I said sure, that sounds nice, but I have my daughter this week. He said, "I know I’m inviting both of you." When we got to his house, he had a little pillow fort ready for her in the living room. When the pizza arrived, he put on the movie Over the Hedge, which is a family movie. That’s when I realized that I had finally found someone who not only accepted me but also my daughter and that is something a single mother worries about when dating. We will be celebrating our 17th year anniversary this December, and to this day, my daughter's favorite movie is Over the Hedge ."

10. "We had been dating for a few weeks, and I was driving to work one morning, and so was she. Construction on the highway had caused her to change her normal route. I spotted her car, and she spotted mine. We both waved to each other, and the butterflies in my stomach were fluttering badly. I was soooo happy to see her, and she felt the same way! It made my day, and I couldn’t stop thinking about her. Married 34 years."

— u/DavidT64

11. "He went back in the store and returned the .35 cents the cashier had mistakenly given him so her register wouldn’t be off at the end of the day. Integrity, empathy for strangers, genuine kindness. That was almost 25 years ago. We have a wonderful life."

12. "I got sick. I fell down the stairs. He was pooping. I was the sickest I’ve been in four years (COVID). I had a fever (105F), and I felt icy cold. I was shivering so hard that my teeth were chattering, and I was sweating profusely at the same time. In my fucked-up zombie state, I tried to go get a glass of water. I fell down our wooden stairs immediately. I screamed as I fell and collided with the banister. He bolted out of the bathroom, pants around the ankles. He hoisted me up and carried me up the two flights of stairs to our room. He then mentioned how he needed to take a shower immediately. My man was mid-poop and didn’t even have time to wipe his cheeks! He heard me scream and just came running. Once he came back from his shower, he made me dinner, brushed out my hair, and put on my bonnet."

— u/Grandmaethelsrevenge

13. "We’d been dating a few weeks, and we ordered Chinese food. As he was serving the fried rice, I noticed he was being very careful. I asked whether there was something wrong with the rice, and he said, 'I remember you said you don’t like shrimp, so I’m making sure there’s none in your portion.' 31 years later, he still watches out for me in all the little ways."

Adults who are older, share with us when you realize your life partner was "the one" in the comments below.