An Open Letter To Every Man Who Let Me Go

First and foremost, I hope this letter finds you well.  I truly do.  Whether we ended abruptly or over time, whether we ended mutually and peacefully or whether one of us was blindsided, I hope you're doing well.  If there's only one thing you learned about me in our time together, no matter how brief or how long, I hope you learned and remember that I was not and am not a vindictive person.  It may be in a different way, but I still care about you today just as I did when I knew you.

Thank you for so many things.  

Thank you for teaching me what I want out of a relationship, and what I don't want.  For showing me what I deserve, and what I should never for put up with again.  

Thank you for the good times, and the bad.  

The good times serve as memories that I think back on fondly from time to time.  The good times give me hope that true love can and does exist and that when the time is right, the real thing will find me.  

The bad times serve has hard lessons that I had to learn.  They taught me about myself, about relationships, and about life.  

Thank you for forcing me to walk away when I held on just a little too long.  Thank you for letting me walk away even if you weren't ready because I needed to move on.

Thank you for both making me cry and for being a shoulder to cry on.

Thank you for bringing me one step closer to the man I will marry someday.

Thank you for unintentionally reminding me that time does heal all wounds.

Thank you for reminding me that I am strong, brave, and independent.

Thank you for bringing new meaning to both love songs and songs about heartbreak.

Thank you for being a part of my life.  Whether it was 2 months, 5 years, or somewhere in between.  Whether it was complicated or easy.

Without you, I wouldn't be the woman I am today.

And truth be told, I kind of like her.