Thank you for showing me what love is not. No I do not hate you, in fact I am glad you came into my life because you taught me a lot. We all have to love and get hurt, or how else would we learn what we want? How would we learn what qualities we want in a partner? Sure there are other influences that help us make those choices but what better way than to learn on our own.

Sure, there are going to be regrets on who you date and I am sure some people will regret dating you too, it is all a cycle. But you have to date people like that in order to know that they are not the kind of person you want or should be with. And in the end, it is going to make that right person that much better and you will appreciate them so much more.

Honestly, just go on that date, who cares! Better to give it a shot and see if it is what you want or if it is not, than to just wonder. You might be missing out on the best person, but you could also really be dodging a bullet, who knows until you try.

Yes, there are going to be things that make you angry or upset that an ex has done to you, but did it not show you what you want or do not want in your life? I guarantee you it did. You can "hate" or dislike an ex all you want, but they did you a favor, they gave you a leg up on knowing what you want.

If I were to go back and do it all over again, there are very few things that I would change. It made me who I am and showed me what I want my life to be like and who I want in it. Thanks for making me stronger and more confident, because I would not be me without the people in my past who shaped me to be this way.

Your ex's will teach you what love you want in your life, and what love you do not want in your life. They are just another person in your life that will help you along your way, whether or not you see it in the moment, you will see it down the road. The good and bad times, the love and the hurt, will all lead you down your path, wherever that is meant to lead.

All I can do is thank you for what you did for me, all the bad and all the good. Because now I know. I know what love I deserve. I know what love I want. I know what love is and what it is not. Thank you for teaching me so much even when sometimes it hurt like hell. Thank you for eventually leading me to my future, wherever that might be.