Love is always seen as a quality that grows fonder as you get older and wiser. Even though there is truth to that statement, I can proudly say that at seventeen, I most definitely have found my soulmate. This is because when you know, you know.

Sometimes, love may grace you at a time in life when you weren’t looking for anything at all. But when a love like this does, you will know it was looking for you. Not the other way around.

“When you’re soulmates, it hits you like lightning, and you just know that’s the one person in the world that you were meant to be with.” – L.J Smith

1. He adores all of your friends and family

One major request that you have of your significant other is, of course, introducing him to all of your friends and family. This won’t be a burden for him—after all, he adores anything that makes you happy.

He will appreciate you for asking, but in the back of his mind he wanted to meet them all anyways. He has intentions of staying. He wants to prove himself to the surrounding people that adore you just as much as he does.

In the midst of him doing so, they will soon realize that you not only notice the love he has for you, but they do, too. These are the people that know you best, and they also knows what’s best for you.

2. He supports your dreams and aspirations

In search of the perfect partner, you have stumbled upon countless guys that were too focused on themselves, and quite frankly, didn’t have time to fit you into the future plans that they have arranged for themselves.

But, the man for you has no other choice. He has not only arranged his life to make you happy, but he wants to help you fulfill your dreams on top of that. He understands that before him, you had goals and aspirations you wanted to commit to—just as much as him.

He will not only do anything to make this easier for you, but he supports you along the way. He knows you have the power to do anything you set your mind too. He loves you no matter what.

3. He will go out of his way to make you happy

He would cross oceans just to see you smile. He not only constantly wants to make plans with you, but he knows the things that make you happy.

He will plan dinner at your favorite restaurants, take you to movies, and other thoughtful things that make you fall in love with him even more.

Not only does he want to still impress you, but he knows you enjoy the little plans even more than the elaborate, thought out ones.

Any time spent together is time spent well. You will soon come to realize that a late fast food run and a Netflix marathon makes you just as happy.

4. He understands you better than anybody else

We, as women, sometimes are a little much to handle. Our hormones (often all over the place causing mood swings) plus our complicated thought processes are enough to ruin anything good that is presented to us. But, he understands you.

He knows that you have your doubts about love. He knows that you have been through a lot, and that is why you struggle with the flaws that you have obtained. But he is here to prove to you that he will love you through it all.

He will comfort you on bad days. He will explain to you that he is not going anywhere. He understands your thought processes just as much as you, if not even better. He understands you better than anybody else. He has promised you that he truly loves every complicated version of you.

5. He let’s you still have your independence

Ladies, we all know we are kick-ass without any man. We were independent without him, and we still like to prove to him that we uphold this quality with or without him.

But, he secretly admires this in you. He loves that you don’t need anybody in life to validate you or who you are. He will support your independence.

He fell in love with you for all that you are. That is why he never wants to see this quality diminish.

He knows that anything you want in life, you will get. He supports and believes in you, from afar. The man for you adores the fact that you can handle anything life throws at you.