First of all - thank you for breaking my heart.

Secondly - how dare you.

I never thought it was possible to love someone as much as I loved you. I gave you 100% of the authentic me, and you claimed to do the same. But still - that wasn't enough for you - and you weren't enough for me. Constant thoughts and memories play inside my head and if I let myself - I could second guess every single decision I made regarding you. Yet the one decision I will never second guess is forgiving you. By forgiving you, not only am I letting go and setting myself free - but I am taking all the love I gave you and giving it to myself. Someone who, simply put; deserves it.

You introduced me to your friends and family and over time I put you in my goals and aspirations, naively thinking those new plans with you would never change. But over the past few weeks of regrouping, I've realized that my goals and aspirations will NEVER change - but I have the power to decide whom I allow into them.

Before, I never thought I'd be able to live without you.

But now, I've realized how big the world truly is.

Maybe it was me since you pulled the ever-so-classic, "we can still be friends", "it wasn't you", and "I promise" lines. But the only thing I blame myself for is trying to fill the hole in my heart by loving you. My mistake.

So here's where the "love" letter kicks in. Thank you for loving me - when I wasn't able to do that for myself. Thank you for all the laughs, kisses, and love - in a time when it wasn't easy. Thank you for allowing me to share my secrets with you - even now I know they are safe. And finally, thank you for breaking my heart.

You gave up on me when I was just getting started at loving myself. And yet, I am sorry. Sorry for allowing you to carry all my weight. I couldn't love myself - thus I couldn't give you the love you truly deserve. You deserve the stars and the moon. And I'm sorry that we are at different stages in life and I can't be the one to give you that, no matter how badly I wish I could.

As I pick up the pieces of myself and look back on the good times, instead of thinking of what I should have done, I see how beautiful I am. How generous, caring, loving and unconditionally supportive I am. So thank you for breaking my heart.

You pushed me to love myself better.

With thanks, love and a little excitement - here's to a chapter of loving myself, brokenhearted and all.