Dear Ex-Boyfriends,

This may seem harsh, but thank you for breaking up with me. It was really the best thing you ever could have done. Not just for you, but for me as well.

I know the type of girlfriend I am. I am needy, clingy, and I get upset over things easily, but I also love hard and a lot. The crazier I am with you the more I care. I know I am not easy to deal with, but you guys did it like pros. I have a lot of regrets in all of these relationships. I wish I didn’t take some of you back, or broke things off sooner, or didn’t take things so fast. I regret using one of you. I regret dating one of you out of pity. I regret moving on to some of your best friends and cousins. I did a lot wrong, but so did you. However, we both did something right: we ended it. We didn’t end it because things got hard. We didn’t end it because we hated one another. We ended it, because you cared enough about me and I cared enough about you to end it mutually and fairly. I’m happy to be on good terms with all of you, and I am happy to see all of you living your best lives today. You’re all where you want to be, doing what you want to do, and I couldn’t be happier for you guys. Whether we were together for a month, a year, or more, I am grateful for our time together. I am grateful for our time apart. I am grateful for the experiences, lessons, and the memories. We held hands under desks at school, passed notes, shared secrets, hugged, kissed, and made out in the local mall so much with one of you that I still feel dirty when I go in there. But, the moment has ended for all of us, and I wouldn’t be where I am today if it was not for each of you.

Today, I am a college student and writer. I have met someone who I can confidently say is the great love of my life, despite our complications and issues with one another. You taught me how to be a better person, and you showed me my strengths and weaknesses as a partner. I have learned to work on and deal with the things in relationships that I am not so good at, and I have also learned to show off more of what’s so great about me. I believe that things happen for a reason, and that one event, good or bad, will lead into another. I attended the middle school I attended, and I met four of you. I met the friends that lead me to another one of you. One of you lead me to the boy I call the great love of my life, and I could not be more thankful for that. No hard feelings. No hate. No drama. I have a space in my heart for you all. You’ve given me the confidence to go forward and be who I am today. I may not have necessarily been in love with any of you, but I do have love for you simply because you have helped me get to this place in my life.

Sure, this might have seemed a little harsh and odd, but it is with the best intentions and the utmost respect and love that I say thank you for ending us, and thank you for remaining my friends.

Sincerely,

Nikki