Dear Boy Who Tried To Break Me,
The day you told me that we needed to talk was the worst day of my life -- or, at least, it was then. There was crying on a park bench, and on a different park bench a week later. (Why were all of our heavy discussions done in parks?) Falling apart in front of my boss, snapping at my family, shutting out my best friend. I quit my job because I couldn't stand seeing you (aka why you should never date your coworkers).
You did that to me.
I thought I would never get over you. I was wrong.
I learned a lot from our relationship. I learned that I am a passionate and happy person, and you can't destroy that. No one can. I learned that just because someone is a Christian doesn't mean that they're a good person, and that if someone talks bad behind all of their friends' backs, then they're also talking bad about you. I learned that I can go through anything and still be okay. Maybe I won't be okay for a month or six months or six years, but eventually things will be better.
I spent a lot of time in bed after we broke up. I spent a lot of time skipping classes and telling my roommate that she should just give up on life because love doesn't exist. I don't feel that way anymore, and I haven't for a long time.
I'm stronger because of you breaking me. I'm stronger because of you cheating and telling me it was my fault. If you hadn't broken me, I never would have been able to put myself back together.
I've been in love since, maybe that didn't work out either, but it felt a heck of a lot better to be with someone who was honest with me and with themselves. There's no other place I'd rather be in my life, there's no one I'd rather be with than me.
Today, I woke up, brushed my teeth, got food in the dining hall, and went to work. I didn't think about you until I started this article. I didn't think about you at all yesterday or the day before. (I'll admit I did think about you the day before that, because I needed an idea for an article.)
So thank you for giving me this life experience. Thank you for showing me how strong I am. Thank you for trying to break me.
I wish nothing but the best for you, although I do hope that the next time you tell someone you want to marry them, you actually mean it.
Sincerely,
Me
