Break-ups are hard. They tear you apart and you think you'll never get over the pain. But, eventually you learn how to pick yourself up off the ground, brush yourself off and walk away from it all that much stronger. Sometimes, things just take a little time to start to make sense and sometimes it takes some time to realize when something goods happens from something that seems like the end of the world as you knew it (because who isn't a little extra dramatic after a break-up?)

1. Your friends are always there

A break-up is a tragedy. And every tragedy needs a Greek Chorus. After a break-up, you realize who your true friends are by finding the people who answer when you call them, even if it's the sixth time that day. They're the ones who go out and grab a second dinner with you when you're finally done with all of your obligations for the day. They sit with you on the floor of your dorm room just talking until the sun comes up and they make sure you're constantly on the move so there's no time for you to sit and wallow in self-pity. Cherish these people, because they are the ones who are going to be there for you for the rest of your life. The face of the boy standing next to you on your wedding day will change so many times but the girls standing in a line on your other side will always remain the same.

2. Comfort food is called comfort food for a reason

You can sit there and eat a whole pint of ice cream. You can polish off a bag of Dove chocolates. If you want to eat your weight in mozzarella sticks, that's okay. Nobody can judge you for wanting to drown your sorrows in something greasy or something sickly sweet. Besides, with the expectations that girls are given when it comes to beauty, sticking it to the man by eating far more calories in one snack than you need in an entire day is the best way to say F**** you to the person that broke your heart. Stop worrying about fitting into that size 2 dress for date night and focus on nights in your pajamas with your two new men-Ben and Jerry.

3. Flirting is fun

Sure, you can flirt when you're in a relationship, but the constant back and forth with the same person gets old, tired and boring. You fall into a pattern and its like the same things over and over again. Being able to flirt and tease the guys in your life by playing hard to get but making them wonder what you're really thinking is exciting. And now there's no excuses as to why you can't head out for a night with your girls, be the belle of the ball and break some hearts.

4. He wasn't perfect

There are rose colored glasses that every girl puts on when it comes to her boyfriend, because they don't notice any of the flaws. Even the little things that annoy us are portrayed as being adorable when we're talking to our friends. It isn't until after the break-up that you realize how much it bothered you that you could never go out for certain food on dates because he didn't like it, or that him sleeping until noon was sort of a lazy move on his part. It doesn't even mean that he's some terrible guy-you just realize all of the quirks in his personality and remember that nobody is perfect.

5. You always did love him and you always will

You don't hate him. You don't harbor any grudges. You're just hurt because something that you cherished is now just a memory. But, you aren't angry at him, because being angry just halts the healing process. You loved him once and a part of you will always love him. Love doesn't mean it's forever-it just means it was real. And now that things have ended you realize that it's the best for both of you. Someday you'll both find somebody who you love even more and you'll look back on the times you shared with your ex and remember that he helped bring you to this point in your life. And when you're living your own happily ever after you'll be hoping that he turned out just as happy as you are, because that was really all you ever wanted.