It seemed as though we were good together. Looking at us, everyone saw it: our friends, our families, even people we weren't that close with.

It seemed as though everything had lined up perfectly. I thought that I had finally gotten it right, but things changed and it's ok that they did.

First off, I want to thank you.

Because of you, my expectations on what to look for when pursuing a relationship are now raised.

You always encouraged me to be my best self and pushed me to continue to grow in my faith with the Lord.

You taught me how a gentleman ought to treat me.

You opened car doors for me, paid for my meals, and brought me home to your family.

I never really had a guy show me that kind of chivalry before, so I thank you for opening my eyes to the fact that it is something that I both deserve and desire.

But when the hard times surfaced, you taught me something else.

I now know that I deserve someone that will stick around when things get tough.

Through our relationship and breakup, I learned that it truly does take two people to make a relationship work and that I need to find someone who loves me enough to stick around through it all.

You taught me to look for someone who is willing to make me a priority in their life, and that I don't ever need to settle for someone who cannot love me the way that I deserve to be loved, no matter how well we work together.

In breaking my heart, you forced me to discover myself. For the first time in a long time, I finally focused on just me. I learned how to become independent and pursue my own dreams instead of spending my time and energy making sure that you were able to pursue yours.

I realized that even though a relationship is something that I desire, I don't have to have a guy in my life in order to be happy. And as hard as it was, I learned that I actually can do life without you.

Through it all, I realized that I don't have to sacrifice any part of myself in order to make someone else happy; I shouldn't have to try so hard to make things work.

After enslaving my heart to your "back and forth", "push and pull" games for so long, I now understand that I deserve so much more. I know that there is someone out there that will love me enough to stick around through it all: the good, the bad, the hard times, and the sad.
Someone who knows in their heart that I am worth it.

You showed me that even when people look really good together on paper, it doesn't necessarily mean that they are in reality.

I realize now that people change and it's ok when they do.

I don't regret our time together.

I'm glad things happened the way that they did because now I will never have to ask myself "What if...?"

We have some great memories together that I will always miss and cherish and you'll probably always hold a special place in my heart.

I genuinely loved every moment with you, but I now know that I deserve even more.

I want you to know that it's ok that we didn't work out.

I genuinely wish you nothing but happiness.

I hope that you find someone that makes you want to stick around for the hard times.

I pray that you continue to pursue your dreams and that you accomplish all the things that God has set out for you to accomplish.

I pray that He continues to work in and through your life because I do still believe in you and want the best for you.

So thank you for all the memories that we shared: both good and bad; Thank you for all the lessons that you taught me from our relationship and break up.

Because no matter how badly you deciding that I wasn't worth it anymore hurt, I wouldn't be the person that I am today without the lessons I learned from that pain.