Because the universe is a cruel and heartless place, true love doesn’t always work out. Mistakes are made, connections are missed, and years later, people realize that their perfect partner was the one they let slip through their fingers. Here are some redditors who opened up about their great lost loves.
1. McGooYou wanted to see if there were other fish in the sea, which is not an apt metaphor because actual fisherman call it a day after they’ve caught the perfect fish.
Well, first she had all the "usual" good traits: pretty, intelligent, fun/spontaneous, emotionally stable, job, great sex life, I liked her friends, we had some (but not all) similar interests, and she absolutely adored me.
Bigger still is that I trusted her unconditionally and I had a ton of respect for her as a person. Also, I don't recall ever having a real argument with her. We may have disagreed on things, but talked and got over it in minutes.
I left her because I was 20, she was one of the first girls that was my "girlfriend," and I wanted to see what else was out there (I had lots of options at that age). Little did I know as a naive 20-year-old that it wouldn't be easy finding other relationships of that quality.
2. This deleted user’s story has multiple kinds of tragedy in it—a little something for everyone.
He was a friend of mine, and we both loved British fiction and had the same caustic sense of humor and introverted personality. I think we were kind of liking each other, but another guy got to me first, and I ended up in a serious relationship with him...he turned out to be a heroin addict. My friend, on the other hand, became a relatively famous musician, and committed suicide several years later.
3. IronTeach was a dum-dum, but at least he realizes he was a dum-dum.
My girlfriend who I had been with for 2 years and I were having a small argument and I decided that we should go on a "break," which in my mind meant, "HEY! YOU BETTER REALIZE HOW STUPID YOU'RE BEING!" Yet, as most people who think this usually are, I was the one being stupid. A couple days later, some guy asked her out, I was jealous and wanted her back, but being a prideful guy at that point in my life, I suggested she go. Well, he was a better guy than me apparently who wouldn't argue about dumb things. They're now married with two kids and I have never again treated a girl with that kind of pompousness and irrationality. Obviously things weren't the greatest, but her getting away helped me realize how immature I was and I've grown from that.
4. neontribegirl met her lost love at Burning Man, which she remembers somehow even though it all went down at Burning Man.
I was at Burning Man. He was from Amsterdam, Netherlands. He was tall and he had the most gorgeous smile. As he walked towards me, I was freaking out on the inside.
After my day of work, I went with him to his camp and met his friends. We talked and laughed all day. We kept looking at each other and smiling. We took some mushrooms and sat near the temple and watched the sunset. He turned towards me and asked "If in another universe, we had met while living in the same country, would you go out with me?" I smiled and said yes. He asked why. I told him because he was the most honest man I have met. He was so kind, it was refreshing. I asked him the same question and he said yes too. We smiled some more. We spent 4 days hanging out with each other, sharing stories, exploring the playa. It was beautiful. He was beautiful. Nothing happened between us. He had a girlfriend and I respected that. I guess that why he liked me even more. When he left, he gave me a teddy bear and a note that said "Shame about the timing" He was the one that got away. Because of the timing. Because of where we lived. Because our paths were meant to intertwine only for those four days. He was the one that got away. And I know I will never see him again no matter how much I travel the world. But to me, that is the beauty of this entire experience. No follow up. No "we just fell out of touch." It is the beauty in knowing it will never happen again and I will remember how he made me feel forever.
5. MorganFreemanRIP was in love with a girl who wanted him to be her gay BFF and her brother, but unfortunately he was heterosexual and had different parents than she did.
We were best friends.
She wanted me to be her gay friend, I wasn't gay but totally in love with her. We hung out at her house several days a week and in school, and for whatever reason she ended up getting married and it broke my heart.
I told her how I felt when I discovered she was engaged, shit got weird and she said I was like a brother to her. We never spoke after that.
6. It’s all in the timing, FlareCorran.
Back in school, there was a girl that I was in a club with and we actually worked together to plan several programs. Prettiest girl I've ever actually known. Wonderful personality and I suspect she liked me too. Finally, a couple friends convince me that I should ask her out, rather than putting it off.
Unfortunately, the night I was going to do it, I overhear her saying that she's been set up on a date with a guy from Chicago that Friday (when I was planning to have dinner) so I didn't do anything. Figured hey, she's just been set up, it's not a big deal, I'll ask her later. She was engaged to him within a year and married not long after.
Yes, this is my fault. But it's been my encouragement to actually try and do better on this, because I had two months of waffling where I saw her one or two times every week before I actually got up the courage to ask her out.
7. This deleted user didn’t want to lock it down when his girlfriend wanted to lock it down, so things didn’t get locked down.
I let her go. She was wife-material right off the bat and took care of me and was very very pretty and nice. A great personal all-around. But she was ready for the comfortable life of being in a long relationship; seeing close friends 50% as much (if that), early nights in, crafts like knitting and baking, etc. I was 18 or 19 and felt I had way too much I hadn't experienced yet and couldn't do so the way things were going. She was madly in love with me, and though I loved her as well and she was my best friend, I did not feel as though I loved her back in the same way or was able to give the same comforts she gave me. She was perfect for me 6 years from then. So I let her go.
8. The one that got away for DrawerFullOfDicks is the one who identified himself thusly.
We were friends with benefits but he never made any indication he was interested in me. He moved to Europe, sent me a message with a picture of himself at the Eiffel Tower telling me how I was the one who got away and how much he missed me. He got engaged 3 months later to someone else, they are starting a happy little Swedish family while I sit in my apartment in the southeast sadly masturbating. It's a good life.
9. User menace64 never got a reason why his true love dumped him, but the one-night-stand that ended in pregnancy might be a clue.
Met her, and it was the first time (and since then, the only time) that I had that feeling of rightness. I still don't believe in love at first sight but there was certainly a deep, pulling attraction.
As far as I was concerned, the search was over.
We were together for less than a year: a great year, the best relationship I could ever hope to have. But she came into it with a habit of cheating, and just couldn't get a handle on it. I worked with her - perhaps I was too easygoing; love eased my heart, I think - but one night she got drunk, slept with a dude, and got herself knocked up.
She never even told me why she dumped me. It just happened, and really I'm not even entirely over it, or her. Maybe I'll never be. Maybe that's what love feels like.
10. Fearnotmonkey’s lesson here is that you should never giving dating advice to someone you’re in love with if it doesn’t involve dating you.
Meeting a girl with EXACTLY the same, personality, humor, interests and outlook on life as myself and becoming instantly head over heels. I find out she was in the early stages of seeing someone so I just became friends with her (all while thinking she's the most amazing girl I've ever met but such is life). We go on a college trip to Venice and after an evening drinking and end up cuddled up on her bed chatting (other people were in the room I should mention), the topic of the guy she is seeing comes up and how she feels it's not working and how, and I quote, "I wish he was more like you". Unfortunately my drunken mind just wants to help out amazing fantastic girl so I proceed to give her the best advice ever on how to solve the problems they'd been having getting things started.
Two days after being home from Venice I get a text saying "Your advice worked! we worked everything out and are officially together now!!" I banged my head on my desk rather hard that evening.
11. madsplatter forgot about the one that got away until he ran into her.
Yes. I saw her at the grocery store the other day and it totally caught me off guard. I forgot how hard I fell for her. I don't even think I'm capable of falling that hard anymore. She ruined me. It's like I had a cup full of love and she drank most of it and didn't put any love back into the cup and now I just have less love.
12. This story from Omphile would be incredibly romantic and poignant in a movie, but it happened in real life so instead it’s just excruciatingly heartbreaking.
I met her at an airport in Johannesburg, we had amazing conversation, she said she was going to Chicago. I never had the chance to get her name, phone number, or Facebook details. I know I'll never forget this one.
13. The_catacombs had heard “If you love somebody, set them free,” but didn’t think you had to follow up.
On a vacation, she stayed out past 3am with her girlfriends at the beach. I had spent an hour trying to make sure she was at least okay... everyone had been drinking a lot. A call and several texts were ignored. I went to bed. She stumbled in at some point and climbed in bed.
Next morning, I asked if she had fun. I also said I'd been worried. She said she wasn't sure she wanted to keep being serious. I said okay and got a ride home with a friend and his girl. I forced myself for half a year to not try to get her back.
I find out a few years later that I should've fought for it. A mutual acquaintance told me that my ex was very disappointed and sad that I let go like I did. She apparently wanted to see that I'd fight to make it work, but I thought it was best to let her live her life as she wanted, and thought she'd say something if that included me. I was wrong, and now we're separated by the sea. I still love her - she is one of a kind. Sadly I don't believe she feels the same now - I wish I could talk to her and ask, I'd move everything to get another chance.
She was the best friend I should've married.
14. To make sure you’re not a heap of tears and sadness on the floor, this story from Solsed shows that sometimes the one who got away comes back.
Well I had this insane crush on this guy in highschool. I crushed hard like I would get butterflies just thinking about him. This went on for years, even after he moved to a different school.
A decade later we reconnected on Facebook, grabbed dinner, just to catch up, hadn't seen each other in years.
Ended up staying out until two in the morning, just sitting by the river chatting and pretty much just falling in love.
We've been together two years now and couldn't be happier.
I'm so glad that we happened when we did, we had enough life experience to work out what we did and didn't like and it turns out that we fit absolutely perfectly together. :)