Rocky relationships take a toll on the best of us. We spend so much time being angry and hateful that we miss the things that we should be grateful for. We consistently fall for the idea that our exes broke us, but in reality, being broken only made us stronger. Don’t be mad that he cheated on you, be thankful he gave you strength. It’s easy to give tears, but it’s worth it to take back your independence. I don’t like to dwell on the negative, I like to see how the negatives pushed me to be a better, stronger individual.
So to my ex, I would like to extend my deepest thanks. I won’t hide behind a façade. I was miserable when I discovered those hidden text messages. I felt myself cracking and breaking when I heard all the nasty things you said about me behind my back. I felt weak and pitiful, but I want to thank you. Thank you for bringing me down with the words you could never say to my face. Thank you for shattering my self-confidence. If you didn’t do those things, I would have never learned how to build myself back up on my own. I would never believe that I had the strength to rise above the bullshit and persevere.
I was so angry when I felt like we fought for days on end. The same argument carrying on for days, running out of things to say, despising myself for being too small to end the nonsense and move on. If I was never brought down to those lows, I would never recognize how high I could fly. Genuinely, thank you. I’ve never felt so good in my life. There is something about this independence that I am relishing and thriving in – and I would never realized that if it wasn’t for you.
Thank you for constantly forgetting your wallet, never remembering what time you said to come over (if you remembered coming over at all), and ditching me at the last minute. I realize you’re probably thinking I’m being sarcastic, but I’m serious. Thank you for showing me how a genuinely good guy would never treat me. I don’t want to be treated like a guy friend, I want to be treated like the five star girl that I am. I didn’t know what that looked like until I was put through that. I didn’t realize my worth, and because of you, now I do. I can’t thank you enough, feeling worthy of myself brings me happiness I can’t quite describe. Maybe one day you’ll understand.
Thank you so much for making me the better version of myself. I was so unaware, so dull and boring until you gifted me with self-realization. There are so many things that I learned from you that shaped me into who I am today. I have an appreciation for the finer things in life, gratitude for those who treat me well. So thank you.
Featured image via Anthony Tran on Unsplash