Roughly a week ago I sent out a Google Form asking people a single question: "What would you say to someone who broke your heart?" This poll was completely anonymous; the only other information I gathered from the people who responded was their gender and age. Of the 33 responses I received, 75.8% were female and 24.2% were male. I've included a chart of the age ranges. *

*The 33 responses does not include my own, so really seven 19-year olds responded and 76.4% of 34 responses are female, and 23.6% are male

I randomly assigned male and female names to each response, so the names listed are not the names of the people who responded. I got several responses that simply said "bye" or that they wouldn't say any last words to the person. Here are some of the responses I got.

1. "The guy you left me for is a complete and total douche and I'm sure you found that out really quick and it sucks to be you."

— Oscar, 20

2. " Screw you and the girl you were cheating on me with. I don't have any respect for you and I hope that someday you realize what you did and suffer for it."

— Kaylee, 20

3. "Thank you for letting me grow. Without heartbreak you can’t appreciate true love. You taught me who I wanted to be and what I wanted for myself and for that I’m grateful. You broke me but I came back better than ever and I’ll always be the one who got away."

— Nicole, 20

4. "What I would say to the guy who broke my heart. Loving you was so effortless & worth it. I wouldn’t trade the two years we had for anything. Although I was able to give you everything I had & would do anything for you still, I could tell I was giving more than you could accept. I could tell you were losing interest & we were drifting. You weren’t there when I needed you to be & that didn’t seem to bother you. You sat me on the back burner while I watched you prioritize others. We both became busy and that was the end to us. Although I think about you often I know you weren’t ready to handle what I had to offer and that was on you not me. You gave up & I let go. I hope you continue to grow as the amazing man I loved dearly & someday can find someone to love you like I did & be able to reciprocate those feeling right back."

— Rick, 20

5. "You're not worth my time and I'm greater than what you think of me."

— Hannah, 19

6. "I want to know the real reason you made that decision, not an excuse that's supposed to make me feel better."

— Morgan, 19

7. "Sometimes I think I miss you, but then I realize that I only miss the good times. There were a lot of bad times. You're one of the most selfish people I know, and I hate that you made me doubt myself. You influenced every aspect of my personality, and while I learned about myself as a person because of you, I also became more depressed than anyone should be. At least now I know my self-worth and I deserve better than you."

— Brooke, 19

8. "I never got closure, and I need it. We ended on a bad note. I’m thankful for the time and experiences I had with you. You said we could stay friends, yet we haven’t spoken in months. I’m sorry I was not always a good girlfriend. I wish I could have been better. I feel guilty for hurting you, but you did the same to me. It’s probably for the best. I’m happy now and you seem to be too. I don’t understand how you got over me and moved on so fast. Sometimes I wish I could change the past, but I wouldn’t be where I am now. I’m happy with where I am at."

— Jenna, 18

9. "You made me stronger."

— Catherine, 19

10. "I would ask them why they thought breaking my heart was okay. I would tell them exactly how it made me feel and all the emotions that I went through during the heartache. If they loved me like they say they did why would it be so easy to hurt me mentally physically and emotionally or simply just give up on me and walk away."

— Amanda, 25

11. "Should've looked at the big picture."

— Bill, 48

12. "I trusted you when I gave you my heart and I have no words for the way I feel about how you betrayed that trust. However I believe that everything happens for a reason. So this hurt I feel, I feel it for a reason; the lessons I learn from this I’m learning for a reason. I will never be the same after this time but maybe that’s okay."

— Judy, 20

13. "Why were you so selfish? Why did you feel the need to lead me on after you broke up with me on the idea that we might get back together, knowing full well you would never even consider it? Why did you assault me because I asked?"

— Britney, 18

14. "I'm really happy you did because at the time it hurt like hell, but now I am such a different person. I am confident and independent and I needed it to happen. So thank you."

— Sofia, 18

15. "I did everything I could to make you mine and unfortunately you chose someone else. I hope you're happy and I miss you a lot."

— Kyle, 22

16. "I often still miss you. Life has never and will never be the same. I hope you're well."

— Trevor, 19

I tried to choose a variety of types of responses, from the ones that seem heartless to the ones that make you want to hug the person confessing. If I didn't share your words, they are still valid and I appreciate everyone who shared their stories with me.

**Note, some responses have been edited for length/clarity.