Throughout their highschool careers, most people experience at least one relationship. The relationship could have lasted three months, or three years like mine. Recently, we have broken up, and I have had time to recollect on the time we had spent together. The little things that showed up in my life afterwards reminded me of our memories. In the beginning, I dwelled in my room crying only wanting to eat ice cream; but eventually I came to my senses and realized that he was just a boy in my life, who made me a better person for when the next boy came along.

I would say I am different person than I was in 2013, as most others would comment as well. I believe that my high school relationship shaped me to this person, and created a better person to share with the world. And this is what it taught me:

THE WORLD DOES NOT REVOLVE AROUND ME

Along with other girls, I understand we enjoy to be the center of attention; but when it comes to relationships, the guy enjoys his own attention as well. He may shower you with compliments about how great you look on date night, but if you do not give the same amount of attention to him, he will believe that you do not care. In life and with groups of people, you will not always be the life of party; my relationship taught me that I must always give others the same amount of respect that they give me or they will believe that I simply pay no mind about them.

COMMUNICATION IS KEY

I have always been a person who likes to keep to themselves, but relationships taught me that you cannot keep things bundled up all the time. Secrets and lies have a way of coming out; and feelings do as well. I have learned to express how I feel, and not keep things bottled up. Not having communication creates a force of tension, and having great communication with someone creates an amazing bond.

IF YOU ARE NOT SOMEONE'S DREAM GIRL, THEN THEY'RE WRONG

Never settle for being anything else than someone's dream girl. You should never be a man's number 2 or lower; you should always be number 1. It is okay for him to go out with friends, just as all of us are entitled to; if he goes out all the time and makes his friends a priority over you, then he is doing it wrong.

NEVER PUT ANYONE ABOVE YOUR FAMILY

There have been times I have gone out with a boy or friends instead of doing something I really enjoy with my family, and have instantly regretted it. Family is the greatest gift you can ever recieve because they are the people who have to stick with you through the hard times. You can always pick your friends, but you cannot pick your family; you are stuck with your family, so appreciate them.

HAVE A LIFE OF YOUR OWN

As said above, all of us are entitled to go out without our significant other every once in a while. If someone keeps you locked inside and never lets you leave, then that is a little scary. Even if they drag themselves along to everywhere we go; we all deserve that girls night out every other Friday, and you cannot have a GIRLS night out if a guy is trying to come with you.

LOVE IS A VERB

People complain all the time that the love in their relationship is no longer there simply because their significant other does not say it everyday. Love is not a phrase to be overused on a daily basis; love is simply the acts we perform to show someone we care. If you believe that the love has died, you do not just sit there and wait for the other person to do something, LOVE is a VERB, you must get up and put some physical effort into showing the person that you still care. In return for your effort, the other person will go out of their way as well to put in more effort themselves.

LEARN FROM THESE EXPERIENCES

Relationships can make you vulnerable in many ways. Relationships can reveal the insecurities and weaknesses that we have. From these moments you spend together, and more about each other, you are also learning about yourself. When learning about yourself, it is good to keep a mental note of it to learn and grow. My high school relationship made me grow into a stronger and more mature person, who some man one day will love me for just who I am. For who I am is a girl who had her heart broken and decided to learn from the mistakes she made within it.