I’ve never been a big fan of dating. Growing up, I had always pictured one day meeting Mr. Right and never having to take part in the heartache-infested world of dating. The older I got, the quicker I realized that things were not going to work out that way for me. I changed a lot and I needed to find people who complimented who I was becoming. Years of playing the dating game yielded me nothing but sadness and a lack of hope that things would get better. Long-lasting relationships would crash and burn and I began to develop a mindset that maybe settling down wasn’t for me.

When I was least expecting it, one person walked into my life and flipped my world upside down. Polar opposites, we never knew how much we needed each other until life had crumbled. We spent such a short amount of time together and I wondered how I had ever done life before meeting him. Then just weeks later, I sat wondering what I had done to make that spark we once felt die down to embers. It was then that I realized that flings don’t last, and I had to be okay with that. I began to see that the fling was a good thing.

I lost a love interest, but I gained a best friend. I had to someone to share everything with. The more our friendship grew, the more I realized that we are better friends than we would have ever been partners. The same sense of humor and willingness to listen to each other’s stories has propelled our friendship. Now, I have a person I always want to tell first when something happens in my life, and I don’t know what I would do if we would have severed ties early on. Being friends trumps all.

I lost a body to cuddle, but I gained a shoulder to cry on. While we may be on opposite sides of the country, I know I always can count on his sound advice and reassurance. Being there for each other has proved that some people are placed in our lives for support. Helping each other talk things out and giving advice on tough situations assures my hunch that our meeting was not coincidence.

I lost a fling, but I gained closure. There is nothing harder than accepting the end of something that was so good. But if you love someone, letting them go is easier. Their happiness means more than a label. Letting go was a tough choice, but in the end, I think I gained more than I lost.