You probably never really understood just how much you meant to me. You will probably never be able to feel the kind of love that I gave to you ever again in your life. You will never fully appreciate what it means to be loved by a person the way that I loved you.
I got so caught up trying to protect and nurture the love that I had for you, I ended up neglecting the fact that you weren’t giving me any love in return. To the man who I gave my whole heart to and yet never trusted me enough to give his own heart to, I just want to thank you for making me realize the value of my own being.
I would like to tell you that I am ever so grateful that you chose to treat me the way that you did because I never would be where I am today if it weren’t for you. You were the one who taught me that it was possible for a person to build you up to a place where you had never reached in your life. You also taught me that it was possible for that same person to be the one to knock you down into depths that you never would have imagined existed. I just want to tell you that I’m thankful for being so receptive of all of my love; for taking me for granted and always making sure that I felt underappreciated. Thank you for making me feel so worthless and unimportant even though you practically meant the whole world to me.
I was so blind. I should have seen what was unfolding before my very eyes. My love for you managed to cloud my judgement. I was too engrossed in my own emotions to see the truth that lay before me. I was so afraid of losing you, I didn’t realize that you were the one who was causing all of my torment. You made me so afraid to lose the person that was breaking my heart every single day of my life. I want to thank you for teaching me to always stay guarded from now on. I want to say thank you for teaching me to never let my emotions cloud my judgement. You were the one who taught me that I should always be looking after myself.
You probably never really understood just how much you meant to me. You will probably never be able to feel the kind of love that I gave to you ever again in your life. You will never fully appreciate what it means to be loved by a person the way that I loved you. I was willing to move mountains and jump across oceans for your affection. I willingly ignored my better judgement just so I could keep you in my life. I always placed your needs above my own. I always ran to you whenever you called no matter the circumstances. Thank you for teaching me the value of patience, and how it should only be afforded to those who are actually worth it. Thank you for teaching me the value of time, and how it is something that should be reserved for the genuine. These were things that you never earned, and yet, I gave them to you unconditionally. Thank you for teaching me to never make that same mistake again.
This is an open letter to the person who promised me the world but failed to deliver on all counts. Thank you for exposing me to the truth: that not all promises are meant to be kept. Thank you for being my much-needed eye opener. Thank you for being a valuable lesson that I desperately needed to learn. Thank you for serving as a major milestone in my life because you have made me more ready for love in the future.
Thank you for paralyzing me into complete helplessness whenever you were around me. I now realize that I am never helpless, and that I always have the strength to carry myself forward. Thank you for educating me about the red flags of a toxic relationship. Now I have a better understanding for the types of people that I need to avoid. Thank you for teaching me how to be a better judge of character. You provide a perfect contrast for the ideal man that I will eventually find.
But last of all, thank you for helping me realize my own strength and courage. It takes a great deal of bravery and resilience to overcome everything that you chose to put me through. I never knew that I had it within me to be as strong as I was. I never would have realized my own independence had you not left me in the dust. Thank you for educating me on the importance of learning to stand on my own two feet. Even though you are no longer in my life, you still hold a special place in my memories. You were the man who taught me about everything that love shouldn’t be. You were the man who taught me that I should never settle. You were the man who made me realize that I actually deserve better.
