Tags
breakup, Dating, ex, forgive and forget, letting go of the past, moving on, relationship, vacation
“The truth is, unless you let go, unless you forgive yourself, unless you forgive the situation, unless you realize that the situation is over, you cannot move forward.”
― Steve Maraboli,
I have been promising an update on Ex for awhile now, so it is about time I step up and do it. It is not really an update about Ex, but about my feelings about Ex. He, I am sure continues to do well, not ever having any issues with this break up. He was always fine, he got rid of me the same way he changes a shirt. Without a second thought, without blinking an eye.
I am not sure if I should envy or feel sorry for people that are able to get rid of people that easy. He was able to erase 3 years like it never happened. Why am I making someone in my life so important when clearly I meant nothing?
I didn’t really want to write this update because I know I am going to look foolish. First, why after 2 years I am still struggling with feelings regarding Ex? I am better and smarter than that! Second, why did I contact him? Yep, I had never contacted him in the last 2 years, I have replied every now and then when he contacts me, but I never reached out first. So, why now? The answer is stupidity, plain stupidity!
For a moment I thought about not writing anything about it. But the reason why I started this blog in the first place was Ex, so if I am to leave my true feelings about this situation out of this blog I may as well stop writing it. If it is not the whole truth, what is then the point?
I go through patches of feeling high on life and not thinking about Ex at all, to phases of thinking of him every night when my head hits the pillow.
Through the summer we exchanged emails and texts regarding tickets to the US Open. I felt good about the exchanges. I bought tickets, sent him the check and he sent me the tickets. We never met or talked on the phone. I was happy that he never proposed meeting in person to exchange tickets/cash. I felt this was a step towards in the right direction. I thought to myself: perhaps one day we can be friends.
“Make a pact with yourself today to not be defined by your past. Sometimes the greatest thing to come out of all your hard work isn’t what you get for it, but what you become for it. Shake things up today! Be You…Be Free…Share.”
― Steve Maraboli
So on the opening night at the US Open I saw him walk in and take his seat. Even thought my seat was across the stadium I knew exactly where his seats were and my eyes couldn’t help going there every few seconds until the moment I saw him walking in with the girlfriend.
I had a friend with me and I pointed him out to her and said: I am going to text him and tell him I see him. She said do it, and I did. All I texted was : “I see you”
He didn’t reply anything until later on when he wrote: “I wish I had seen you”. By then I had already realized what a big mistake I had done, actually 2 seconds after sending it I wished I could have taken it back.
I didn’t reply.
The next morning he sent another text saying sorry for not having offered me a ride home and saying he hoped I had stayed dry (it had rained the night before).
Again I should have remained silent but I couldn’t help it and wrote: “I don’t think your girlfriend would be too happy sitting in the back and I am not a backseat kind of girl!”
He replied:” She knows of my love for you and would have” My thoughts when I read this was of how delusional he can be thinking that any girl would agree with that scenario.
I just laughed it off. I didn’t reply anything anymore. I should not have started anything to begin with.
And life went on as usual until September 19 when he wrote:”I am sorry for the troubles between our 2 countries. I want you to know that I love you and I hope all is well”
“Letting go means to come to the realization that some people are a part of your history, but not a part of your destiny.”
― Steve Maraboli
For some reason that text hit a chord. I have received texts and emails from email from him before where he will say I love you, but this one hit a nerve. It made me feel all kids of feelings. I was sad and angry. I have to be completely honest here and say that I still liked getting texts from him, I still like hearing that he loves me. But, what is the point? Does he even know what love is? If he ever loved me he wouldn’t have treated me the way he did. Why do I need still this fake closeness? But I decided not to react and let it go. Feeling that my silence was the best reply.
This text came as I was going to Boston for the wedding. I thought to myself: perfect, now I will be an emotional basket case at this wedding. Funny enough I was not. I was happy my friend was getting married and at no point I wanted to be the one walking down the aisle. I was shocked at my being completely unemotional about it. There were no thoughts of Ex, of what could have been, nothing!
But for some reason after returning home, all I have been doing is think of him and miss him all over again. Re-reading that text made me angrier and angrier at him, at myself, at the world. How dare him stir those feelings up? Why do I still miss him when I know he is not good for me? It seems he has some kind of radar. As I am not even remembering he exits there comes a text from him and revives everything inside me.
“Cry. Forgive. Learn. Move on. Let your tears water the seeds of your future happiness.”
― Steve Maraboli
So the past few days I have been struggling and having the craziest of thoughts. Ready to hear it? No, you are not ready, but I am going to tell you anyway. I came very close to asking him if he wanted to go skiing together. Yes, how stir crazy is that? I should be committed for letting such a thought enter my mind. Thank God, there was a little voice inside of me with some common sense.
So a few days ago I texted him and asked him not to contact me ever again. Here is what I said: “Stop hurting me by mentioning the word love. You don’t know the meaning of the word. You don’t have any idea of my pain. I have accepted the reality long ago but that doesn’t lessen the pain. Help me by forgetting I exist. It should be easy for you. Do not contact me! I wish you happiness and success.”
I cringe when I read it now. I sound childish and stupid. It is more like a love declaration then anything else. But at the end of the day, it is honest and it was what I was feeling at the moment. Impulsive Aries triumphs again. oh well…
Some people ask me, what does he want. I think he wants to be my friend. In his mind we are friends. He wants his actions to be okay. He thinks he did nothing wrong and if I am his friend then that is a validation that he didn’t do anything wrong.
After my text he didn’t contact me again, as I knew he wouldn’t. So now on again to the process of recovery. I am also motivated to make new memories. I realize that some of my favorite memories are with him, so thinking of good things in my past involves thinking of him. It is time for me to make new memories. I am in a way looking to rewrite the past.
So the first new memory to be recreated will be Whistler, BC. Skiing anyone?
The bottom line is: Two years have passed and I am back at the beginning! Sad realization! No conclusion, no great insight, just the need to take one step at a time and be good to myself.
“Renew, release, let go. Yesterday’s gone. There’s nothing you can do to bring it back. You can’t “should’ve” done something. You can only DO something. Renew yourself. Release that attachment. Today is a new day!”
― Steve Maraboli
Hi there,
Wow, 2 yrs and you were back to “love hell”… I am so sorry you have to go through that, AGAIN! I totally understand how you feel because I had been there. You should start dating again. Or just see other people, make more friends. Stop going back to the “darkness”. Life is too short, you don’t want to leave your heart to be with an ex because it is an EX. Ex means, he has no intention to be with you. Be with the one who wants to be with you right NOW. Not last year, not yesterday and not in the future. But, NOW. Who cares what he says. Love, Miss or even eternity. It doesnt matter what he says because he is not with you right now. Don’t do “dream” like it’s gonna happen with him again. If it does, it’s when you bump into him on the street and you forgot his last name. Not when you still hate him for what he did and saw his new gf and still get emotional. If it’s meant to be, God will make it happen FOR you. Best of luck my friend.
LikeLike
Thank you for the very wise words. I have tried dating, well I am still trying, but I have moments of being afraid of attaching myself to anybody just not to be alone with moments of turning everyone down because no one is him. We will never be together because I would never be able to trust again. Going back to past memories feels like some sort of punishment to myself.
Life is indeed short so I am doing my best to focus on the now and forget the rest.
Thank you again for your insight! Many blessings! 🙂
LikeLike
Hi! I am so glad you realized that it is a punishment to go back to “darkness”. Definitely no one is him, but there will be someone who can treat you better or stay with you throughout even when you are in your down times. And most of all, we need to stay emotionally strong because that loses any prince charming in the world. I realized every relationship that didn’t work on me was because I got emotional after awhile being attached. I guess it is something to think about? I dont know if you have the same issue but for me, I realized men will never stay with someone crying or yelling all the time… It drains them.. no matter how much they loved you… oh well, good luck and I am sure you will be with someone potential soon and we will be all reading on your blog. 🙂
LikeLike
I definitely cannot wait until I have other things to write about other than a broken heart. I want to write about a new love and new adventures, and I know that will come.
Thank you for pointing out your issues, even though I am not a yeller and nagger, I am very emotional. But I do believe that the right person for us will accept and love us as we are. With that being said, we cannot change ourselves, but we can grow and focus in all the goodness within us.
Thank you for the support and kindness! Many blessings! 🙂
LikeLike
Cut yourself some slack Blessed. Stupid, pathetic, and crazy you are not. Emotional, perhaps. you’re not back at the beginning. I’d bet money that back then you could not have attended a wedding and not feel incredibly empty.There is no time limit on grieving. How about spending time giving yourself credit for writing what you feel. For feeling at all.
Start some positive self talk. Forgive yourself for choosing and loving him. Forgive the situation for being what it was and how it ended. Forgive the ex for for his 100% not aligning with your 100%.
Wishing that it was different will not make it so. With distance you will normalize again. Take care of yourself
LikeLike
I so needed to hear what you wrote. For some reason it made me cry (yeah, emotional for sure).
I truly believe I have forgiven him and the situation and at times I think about learning to hate him to make it easier, but I just cannot do it.
Forgiving is indeed the key to all things, specially my sanity and well-being.
I specially love that you said; “Wishing that it was different will not make it so.” I know it, but reading it make it more true to me and my need to change the way I look at the past.
Thank you so much for the wisdom and comfort your words provided.
Many blessings! 🙂
LikeLike
I so needed to read . For me, it was only three months together. And now more months than that later, some part of me just won’t give up hope. Thank you for being so honest with yourself, out loud and on the blog. This is my mantra, when my stupid heart gets nostalgic again: “he wants validation he did nothing wrong.” That is it.
Be gentle woth
LikeLike
HI Jessica
I am glad that my post resonated with you. I know that he is not right for me and letting me go was the best thing he did for me, but it has been very hard to let go of the fairy tale that I thought we had.
I guess it is okay to be nostalgic, but we have to make sure not to stay there and move to newer and better things that awaits us – I have to believe!
Blessings and best wishes to you! 🙂
LikeLike
I wish you all the best too!!
LikeLike
Thank you! 🙂
LikeLike
* be gentle with yourself
LikeLike
I wouldn’t say that you’ve gone ‘back to the beginning’. Keep in mind that two years is a fairly short time… Don’t put too much pressure on yourself to get over things faster than you can and don’t criticise yourself so much for making interpersonal ‘mistakes’ – we all do it.
LikeLike
I have to agree with you. Even thought at moments I feel like I have gone back to the beginning, I have not at all. I have to pat myself in the back for coming such a long way. Everything about me is different and better. I guess an empty bed gets to me some times.
Thank you for reminding not to criticize for being human and making mistakes.
A blessed week to you! 🙂
LikeLike
I think with divorce or relationships ending (as opposed to losing someone by death which is more immediately final) there are three phases. Phase 1 is Shock. That can last anything from one hour to one year. Phase 2 is Transition. That is the process of divorce; and the financial, legal, and practical separation (and the ‘practical’ separation may encompass quite a lot, for example mementos and photos and anything that you previously shared). That can take anything from one to ? years. Phase 3 is the Release. Being free now of the legal, practical and financial splitting, this is when the real transformation starts and time to emotionally get ‘over’ it. Until that point, you are merely trying to get ‘through’ it.
LikeLike
I like your explanation of the 3 phases in the end of relationships. I have been lucky that my Phase 2 was pretty easy. We both tried to be nice to each other and there was no disagreement to what I was taking. As a matter of fact we both went out of our ways to make sure that we were being fair.
Phase 3 is the one that I have been stuck on for awhile. At times it feels that I am no a cycle repeating phase 3 over and over again.
Eventually I will be done with it, but for now just trying to learn and grow. Less crying and more laughing.
Thank you for the insight and a blessed week to you! 🙂
LikeLike
I think we all go through those cycles again and again and again, but they do seem to lesson in intensity each time (thank goodness). Wishing you well ,,,
LikeLike
So right, either they lessen or we get stronger and don’t feel it as much. In any case nothing like a day after another. Many blessings! 🙂
LikeLike
nicely written about exes. you got me.
LikeLike
Hi Marlyn
I am glad to get you 🙂
Thank you! Blessings! 🙂
LikeLike
I admire the courage you have to tell your Ex to forget you. You are a brave girl. My prayers are with you.
LikeLike
Thank you! Unfortunately no matter how stupid and meaningless hearing from him was, I still like having that lifeline. It had to end at some point.
Thank you for the prayers! Blessings! 🙂
LikeLike
Good writing, and processing matters of the heart. Your support shown by your blog followers, is impressive: not just quantity but content of encouragement and empowerment. I read your writing, and know you are not stupid, nor pathetic. I believe your heart is good. Wounded? Yes, I would guess that you are wounded. So, what’s next, Blessed? Do you think there is anything / anyone good, redemptive, lovely, beautiful, wonderful, hopeful, over the horizon? I think there is. Peace and healing to you. T
LikeLike
I do have the most awesome readers! They are all insightful and supportive and I have come to rely on them during tough times such as this.
I agree with you, there is beautiful wonders for me over the horizon. If I stop and think I realize there is beauty and wonders all around me at this moment, I just need to open my eyes to them, and stop living in the past.
I believe in Divine Timing and when the time is right the right person will come and if not, alone is not bad either. 🙂
Thank you for the wise words always, and thank you for the good wishes! Blessings! 🙂
LikeLike
actions are always what matters. That’s his true voice.
LikeLike
Indeed, indeed! I have this internal voice that keeps saying: “Pay attention to a man’s actions, not his words!” So any time I am remembering all the good memories, and I am getting a text saying sweet words I try to think of that. I am not always successful, I think some times I enjoy this broken heart pain.
Thank you for your wise words (and I am sure you are not just words 🙂 Blessings!
LikeLike
That’s right. One step at a time. Forward. Forward.
LikeLike
Slowly, but surely! Blessings! 🙂
LikeLike
I know I don’t know the whole story, so if I say something that upsets you ….I don’t mean to. First delete those messages, stop holding on to the pain, let it go! All of those classes you are taking? That is so you will be too busy to deal with your issues. I do it too that’s how I recognize it. Unfortunately running from my feelings or hiding until it goes away never has worked for me. The way we are different is that I remember all of the bad and only occasionally I remember the good. I am still embarrassed that I gave my love….all of it to such an asshole. You will find your way, I know you will..this is the crappy part…it will pass.
LikeLike
You are right and yesterday I deleted all the emails that I still had. There were some difficult to delete, but I did and feel freer for it. It is amazing what we choose to remember. I only remember the good times and have to force myself to find something bad about our time together. Another good point you make is that even though I am good about talking about my feelings I do try to busy myself with activities not to be alone with myself and my feelings. As a result I now have been nursing a hip injury for many months. 😦
Don’t ever be embarrassed about loving, even if the receiver was not deserving, I believe there is even more virtue in loving the undeserving!
Thank you so much for your insight and support! Many blessings! 🙂
LikeLike
I am an Aries ! having bad day (yet again ) I chose to end relationship ,we wanted different things (commitment from him ) and other issues I knew were not going to make for happy ever after.Its been over a year and I still feel the need for our contact,He finds it easy to be friends.he found new gf within weeks and is doing more with her and i feel she is better ! than me.She is a Taurus like him and they are supposed to be very emotionally strong.Oh I wish I was.
LikeLike
Hi my fellow Aries. You were smart to end it if the relationship was not fulfilling what you needed. If you want to be friends with him be friends, otherwise move forward and don’t look back! Focus on yourself! Many blessings! 🙂
LikeLike