Dear ____,

You broke my best friend's heart and left me to pick up the pieces. Through that time, I watched my best friend grow and learn things she may have not found out if you hadn't hurt her. So here are a few things I need to thank you for:

Thank you for ignoring her calls and texts.

It was frustrating at the time. She had no idea why you would flat-out ignore her. She thought you were always mad at her or talking to someone else, and maybe you were. It doesn’t really matter. Because, when you dodged every way she tried to communicate with you, you did her a favor. You showed her what bad communication skills are. You gave her an example of how her future boyfriend should not act. You allowed her to cherish those little texts she gets from her man.

Thank you for exposing her insecurities.

If she had told me everything you said to her while the two of you were still dating, you might not be breathing now. You tried to change who she was. You told her to go to the gym more and to stop going on those late-nigh ice cream runs with me. You tried to change her into someone else. But thank you, because now she doesn’t accept he crap that other people tell her. She knows who she is, and she knows she deserves to be treated well.

Thank you for telling her I was a bad friend.

I tried so hard to never tell her what I thought about you. I let her come to those decisions all on her own, but thank you for telling her I was a bad friend and a bad example. You only wanted to talk to her when she was with me and you always invited yourself to our outings. You were a wedge between us for months but after the inevitable breakup, we are closer now than ever. Once your relationship ended, she was finally able to see how much you disliked me. She now knows that a good boyfriend always likes the best friend.

Thank you for mooching off her.

When you two went on dates, she always paid. Now, there is nothing wrong with that, except that you blew your money on video games for yourself. Every once in a while, my best friend deserves to be spoiled. She is also very smart and caring and you exhorted those traits and used her work as your own. So thank you, because now that she is out of that relationship, she cherishes everything her new boyfriend does. Thank you, because now she understands that she should not be used no matter who tries to use her.

Finally, thank you so much for breaking up with her.

I knew it was going to happen, and I’m so glad it did. I hate that she had to hurt from a broken heart, but I am happy that you released her onto bigger and better things. She is dating a man who treats her right, and he loves our friendship. No one will come between us. We have been there for each other from the beginning, and we will continue to be there. Thank you for proving that.