The minutes, hours, and days have turned into weeks since you’ve left. And although I do feel it slowly getting easier, my days are still ridden with the anxiety and heartache that you have caused me.

Every corner of my mind is occupied by the thoughts and memories of you, our time together, and how it all crumbled so quickly.

I didn’t realize how much can happen in 365 days. How you can come full circle in a matter of months. How you can go from strangers, to friends, to lovers, and back again.

What I don’t understand is how this is so simple for you, while it so completely earth shattering for me. We both knew we were struggling, but when you actually pulled the plug on us and walked out of my apartment for the last time, you took a piece of me with you that I can’t seem to get back.

You took the half of my heart that I so hesitantly gave to you less than a year ago. Less than a year ago… when you walked into my life at a time when I was vulnerable at best. You were like this bright, optimistic, promising light. So I forced myself to give you a chance, to let you in, and to let you be a part of my world that you so passionately pursued.

Some of the happiest times of my life were during our peak. You made me feel safe, loved, and important. I believed that together, we were nothing short of amazing, and I was intrigued by the curiosity of where the future would take us.

But somewhere down the line, things got messy, and we lost sight of each other. But the difference between us was that I was willing to fight, and you were not.

So although you may have knocked me down for a while, I am not broken. The emptiness and darkness that currently seem to have a hold on my life, are not permanent. And as hard as it is to convince myself sometimes, there IS light at the end of this tunnel.

I know that somewhere out there is someone who will one day offer me the world. He will be kind, smart, handsome, funny, and he will do whatever it takes to be mine. To stay mine. He will be man enough to handle a strong-minded, intense, stubborn, sarcastic, powerful woman like me.

Because the truth is, you weren’t. I thought you had a lot to offer, but in reality, you weren’t ready for me. I am force that you cannot, and would not have ever been able to match. And that’s really just too bad for you.

So thank you. Thank you for opening my eyes to the fact that you are not worth the hurt that you caused me. Thank you for undermining the value of my love, so that now I can give it to someone who deserves it. Thank you for putting me through this temporary period of pain, only so that I can come out stronger on the other side. Thank you for allowing me to be excited about the new adventures and opportunities that lie ahead of me. Without you, this fresh start would not be possible.