Bashert

Currently, I am reading a book where the author talks about the Yiddish word "bashert". It translates, more or less, as soul mate. In the Jewish community, it means the one God has meant for you and you alone.
The story goes that before you were born, an angel appears to the soul of your infant self and takes you on a tour of your life. You get to visit your future. One of the things this angel shows you is the person whose soul is a match for yours. Then the angel strikes you beneath the nose, leaving that little channel in the skin between your nose and mouth that we all have. The blow causes you to forget what you have seen, but there is, somehow, a vague memory of what you saw and learned. Enough of a memory to cause recognition when you stumble across your bashert.
Now, personally, I am very skeptical of "soul mates". I remember years ago when a friend referred to she and her husband as soul mates and we teased her mercilessly for years about it! Is there one person, and only one person, for each of us? I doubt it. Too many factors come into play. I do love the notion of a bashert, though. Researching it further, I have found that finding your bashert doesn't mean a happy, perfect marriage. Throw that "human" factor in and you can have all sorts of outcomes in a relationship, especially one as challenging as a marriage. You can't discount the need for effort, dedication and a good sense of humor.
Now every time I scratch that little indent above my lip, I can't help but think of my bashert.