Thank you, ex-boyfriends, for teaching me so many lessons that I would have never learned on my own. You taught me that I don't have to go through difficult situations alone. You taught me to love myself before I loved anyone else. You taught me that no matter how mean I can be or how slightly (maybe more than slightly) crazy I could be, that someone will still love me for me. You taught me to have patience.
You showed me amazing qualities I never knew existed. You showed me that I can fall in love the way someone says a word. You showed me that silences never meant that there was nothing to say, but that the company was enough to leave me speechless. You showed me that sometimes it's not easy being in a relationship, but it would be worth it.
You made me believe in things I never imagined. I never believed it would be possible to spend a whole day with someone and still miss them 30 minutes after they left. I never believed I would make someone my everything for the amount of time you were mine, but I did. I never imagined I would want to be with someone as much as I wanted you.
The experiences I gained with you were none that I would ever want to forget. The time we had together was short, but it was filled with happy moments. It was filled with smiles and laughs. It wasn't perfect by no means, but it was worth it. It was worth the fights at 1 A.M and the nights I went to sleep crying. It was worth the times I thought my heart was going to break because I felt like nothing was going to make it better. It was worth it because it was real.
It wasn't a fling gone wrong. It was real feelings that made the relationship. Without you entering my life, I would not be who I am today. I would not be here writing this, remembering the places we went, the memories we made, and the happiness we shared.
Without you, I wouldn't grow into the woman I am today. Without you, I wouldn't have learned that not everything will work out in my favor, but it will work out somehow. Without you, I wouldn't be able to say 'thank you'.
So thank you. Thank you for never getting discouraged when I was in a bad mood and just wanted to be left alone. Thank you for standing with me when I felt weak. Thank you for not giving up on me when I had my doubts. Thank you for understanding that I'm not perfect, but I tried to be for you. Thank you for making me who I am today, a strong, independent woman.
XOXO
