I looked back at an old journal entry the other day. Two and a half years ago I was going through a heartbreak that internally killed me. I wrote: "I don't feel anything right now. I'm sad, but I can't cry. I'm mad, but I can't yell. I had to delete all of the pictures because seeing his face hurts me all over again. I don't know if I'll ever be okay looking at it, so I decided to not take the chance at all."

All that time has passed, and I came across one that I must have forgot to burn. It was beautiful, not him and I, but what it did to me..I felt nothing.

For everyone going through a heart-break, from the girl that's been through one herself-Do not delete the pictures.

One day, whether it's days, months, or years down the road, I promise looking at those pictures won't destroy you inside anymore. You won't look at them hating yourself for not being who he wanted. You won't tell yourself you need to change top to bottom to maybe finally be someone he'd love.

You'll look at that picture and smile. Yes you heard me right. You will finally not feel that stabbing pain of discomfort seeing him next to you.

You'll look at that picture and feel gratitude for this man that broke you.

You know what else? You'll kick yourself for not keeping the rest of his things, the memories, the pictures, the notes, the texts, everything because now anytime you overcome something that feels impossible, what proof will you have of it? How will you look back and be like, "Ha, I handled it."

I'm a very determined person. If someone hurts me, I want no signs that they were ever even apart of my life. I have to shut them out from every angle in hopes they'll never find their way back in. For me, that means deleting every picture that was ever taken, documenting my time spent with the man who broke me.

I thought burning the pictures would be the easier part, but it was actually very difficult. I felt like it was all real then. I deleted so much then when I went to look back on my time with him, I had nothing to reflect on. I think that part hurt the most.

So take it from a girl that's been there, you may look back one day and want to remember how you felt in that very moment of him leaving you. You may wonder how you could have ever been in such a low place when hearing his name doesn't send shivers down your spine anymore.

Deleting everything did more harm for me than good.

I have nothing to reflect on but one old photo and a sentence.

That's more sad to me than the day he left, and I can't tell you how much I regret it.

I'm happy again with someone I love full-heartily, and even he knows what him leaving me did, but he knows what's worse, and that's having nothing to look back on.

I almost envy my boyfriend because he has memories, and I don't. He has pictures to look back on. He doesn't have them to look back on and feel sorrow or any unease.

He has them for the sole purpose to remind him of times that don't compare to the memories he's making now, and I wish I had the same luxury.

I said it before, but I'll say it 1,000 times again..don't delete the pictures. Learn to live with the slight discomfort initially. Survive those few months where the thought of even looking at the pictures makes you want to crawl into the fetal position and just cry for hours.

Once those few months do go by? Take one out, look at it for just a few moments. Embrace uneasy feeling you get looking at them still, put them away, and go on with the rest of your day.

A year? Things are easier now, and looking at the pictures don't do near the damage to you as they once did. As your in your room doing some spring cleaning, look at the picture. Appreciate all that you've changed. Put the picture away and continue your cleaning.

2 years? It doesn't hurt anymore, and the discomfort is hardly even noticeable. In fact, you feel happy now that things have moved on for you as they did. You no longer feel anger, hurt, betrayal, or hold any sort of grudge. You look at those pictures, only to remind you of the life you weren't suppose to live.

You see these pictures tell you a lot. They would have told me a lot too had I kept them, and obviously by now it's a huge mistake I have that I didn't. They didn't just show where I once was to where I am today, but they are capable of showing any audience who views them how completely changed I actually am by the way I smile. They're able to see the difference between a once panicked face to a now calm spirit.

Things are so different now, and I only wish I could have some of my old pictures to show you...to show me.

To the girl who is heart-broken, just take one bit of advice from me and don't delete the pictures.

Your older self with thank you.