Wow Sage, that's powerful... the whole in-love-for-eternity and "taking a nice little side trip in human bodies" bit. I've never been too keen on the idea of a "soulmate," but the image you present shows me that it can exist for some people. What was the losing and finding part, though?
As for me, I don't think I've ever
known anything right from the beginning... though in my first couple relationships, I got that crazy roller-coaster stomach feeling and THOUGHT I was falling for "The One." After a few disappoinments, though, I realized that I don't make the best first judgements. After that I learned to be wary of my initial excitement (or even lack of excitement!) and really wait things out before making a decision about someone.
With my bf now, it was a slow warming feeling, undramatic but very committed and more grounded than anything before. Somehow the stability of it has helped me to feel closer to "knowing" than any fireworks would have at the beginning. (Not that we didn't have good, hot sex just days into realizing we were into each other...
)