I want a monogamous marriage, I want kids, I’m autistic and have collected a strange group of weirdos who I adore. My friends are great, we talk about our feelings, we give each other hugs, we do massage trains camping, we deeply value human connection, and for someone who’s been single as long as I have, it makes me feel whole.
Some of my friends, after a string of dating avoidant people who were turned off by how emotionally expressive and affectionate they were, gave up on the idea of monogamy and have been experimenting with ENM, I love that for them, it’s not for me, but I dabbled in the past as well.
Two of my friends who have started seeing each other admitted to having feelings for me and I politely declined and it has not been weird at all.
When a girl I was seeing learned I had poly friends, and how close our friendships are got the ick and left. That’s valid for her, but these ties feel so healthy for me and I feel like I shouldn’t have to choose between love, and being able to platonically touch people who at one point had a crush on me.