My life was consumed by thoughts of you from the second I woke up until I went to sleep at night. Loving you had essentially become like a drug. Being high off you was the most euphoric experience I have ever had, but crashing off of you was like hearing every goodbye I’ve ever heard said to me all at once, which is cliche to say, I suppose. I have made my fair share of mistakes — I can be selfish — but I certainly didn’t deserve to be treated the way you so wrongly treated me. I started to believe that I was the problem. I tried harder. Man, I did try. I wanted you, I wanted us, and you threw it away like it was yesterday’s news. I often wondered what I had done to you that was so horrible that could warrant being treated this way. You took and took from me and didn’t once even bother to say thank you. I spent so much time defending you to my friends and my family because I thought that you would change. I would justify your ignorance towards me, and I chalked it up to you having a bad day, but it seemed like everyday was a bad day. But I stayed because I loved you more than anything. My friends told me what my head already knew. “You deserve better.” But at the time all I could think was, “Who are they to tell me what I do and do not deserve?” It’s crazy how my mind tried to protect me from feeling sad and hurt. I always thought it was supposed to be you and me, together, for the rest of our lives. Isn’t life funny in the sense that time reveals truth? Why was everything so one-sided with you? Why couldn’t you just reciprocate the love and effort that I was giving to you? Did I really mean that little to you? I can’t say that I’m angry because some of my favorite memories are the ones I made with you. You could make me feel so alive. As we started getting older, I think you realized our aspirations and desires weren’t lining up. I understand that people grow and sometimes, they grow in separate directions. I don’t think either one of us was really at fault. I mean, we were young, and we thought we knew everything there was to know about love. We really had no idea. Life and you have taught me something very important: people aren’t permanent, but the memories stay with you for a lifetime — good and bad. Many years have passed since you and I, and I would be lying if I said my mind didn’t drift off to thoughts of you from time to time. But I know now that us ending was for the better. It was hard for me to leave you considering the amount of love and passion I had for you, but eventually enough was enough. I could no longer sacrifice my sanity and happiness to try to make us work. I could never blame you for anything because you were one of the best lessons that I could ever have, and I appreciate that. Without you, I’m not sure I would know exactly what I don’t deserve. Thank you for teaching me that my most valuable relationship is the one that I have with myself.
