We have all had bad break ups, and trust me when I say that I have had my fair share of absolutely horrible and messy break-ups. First of all, I want you to know you are a horrible human being, but this isn’t going to be a way for me to complain about you and rip you apart, even though I should. I really want to thank you in the weirdest way possible.

First off, I want to “thank you” for showing me what I do not deserve. I do not deserve someone who constantly puts me down. I do not deserve someone who beats me. I do not deserve someone who doesn’t respect me. I do not deserve someone that doesn’t understand what it means when I say no. Because you were a complete you-know-what, you showed me that I sure in the heck deserve more than you!

I want to also “thank you” for showing me that people are going to try to bring me down and walk all over me, but I just have to get back up and prove everyone, including you, wrong. You showed me that some people in this world aren’t very nice, and if they are anything like you, they are down right evil.

I want to “thank you” for making me find myself. Because of you being so awful, I found myself because I had to pick up all of my pieces myself and put myself back together. I became stronger because I was at my worst when I was with you, and I continue to better myself because I never want to be treated that way again.

I want to “thank you” for not really being my first love. Sure, you were my “first boyfriend," but you were far from being my first love. No one that loves you treats people the way you treated me. And now, I know better.

I would never want to go through this again, but it happened and now I have to make the best of it. It has made me who I am today. I will never let a man treat me like that again. I will also make sure that I am an advocate for my friends and make sure they don’t go through anything like this. To the girls who have been through a horrible relationship, just remember you are stronger than them. If you are in an abusive relationship, just know you can get out of it. Go to someone you trust and get out of it.