Dear Best Friend,

I haven't seen that smile you always have lately. I know your hurting no matter how much you tell me you’re not anymore. Just because you've made up during this fight doesn't mean you’re still not hurt from the last one. I try to be supportive of your relationship, but I can't anymore. The light you once were has been broken and crushed and constantly hurt by him. You can't seem to wrap your mind around the fact that maybe this relationship is a bad idea because you're so in love. Maybe you haven't thought that by now after all these years, if he can't see you for how amazing you are, it's not worth it. You are so blinded by the love you have for him, you can't see that the love you have for him doesn't make up for the lack of love he has for you. He can't love you, he just can't. What he does to you isn't in love. Please, please realize that no matter how much you're there for him or how much you care for him it’s not going to change the way he feels towards you. Why are you wasting your time trying to be "enough" for a man who refuses to be seen in public with you? Why are you trying to love this same man who picks on your weight and talks down about you, but let it come time for sex and he's all in? I've seen you crying for hours over the public humiliation and your fights. You have been broken by his constant need to feel ashamed about you and now you're ashamed of yourself. What about all those times he said, "It won't happen again, I promise!"? Those times must have been lies because its almost 5 months later and you are still fighting, still cussing, and still letting yourself be torn down by him. What is left of you to give to him? You gave given him your countless hours of attention and answered his every call. Don't you dare go out to this club or party or it might cause another fight. Please don't say anything to make him mad or you might end up without a boyfriend. You're constantly on a relationship roller-coaster, but you seem to be the only rider. He could care less about those tears you just shed. You have given him everything. You keep thinking if you just keep trying to change yourself maybe he will see you more or actually love you. After all this time of proving yourself he still can't see it, but most importantly you shouldn't have had to prove yourself in the first place. Trying to receive love from someone who is supposed to just love you isn't a competition. Love isn't a reward you should get for good behavior and revoked for when you make mistakes. You are a beautiful person. You have every quality it takes to make the perfect partner for someone one day, but you will never find them if you are ashamed of yourself. Just because you aren't "enough" for one guy doesn't mean you aren't the whole world to another. You just need to realize your worth. Don't let your spirit be destroyed by an unhealthy relationship. I see the person you can become and you can't start until you learn to love yourself and I honestly mean love yourself. You mean the world to me and you’re my best friend. You can't let someone constantly tear you down, make you cry, and make you hate your own self and still have room for you. Love yourself and not him. Letting go of him doesn't mean you're a quitter, or you hate him, or even that you don't love him anymore. That means you love yourself enough to know that you deserve to be respected, loved, appreciated, and wanted. The list could go on for days. You don't have to keep looking for validation. You are already amazing and worth something because YOU are YOU. As simple as it might seem, you are enough. No one will ever replace you, you’re as unique as they come. So don't forget that, ever.

Love you always,

Your Best Friend