A Letter to the Woman Who Broke My Boyfriend's Heart

I don't know much about you. What I do know has been told in fragmented pieces, broken up because sometimes the past is painful for quite some time. What I know about you, I know from looking at the man I love: that at some point, you did great damage to someone who cared. I'm sure you have your side of the story, there are always two.

Here's what I'm not thankful for: I'm not thankful that you delivered him to me more broken than you found him. Hearts are fragile things. I wish you would have been more careful with his. I'm not thankful that sometimes, despite all the good in our relationship, the past still haunts us both. That is the reality of life. It is something we will work on together, every single day. I wish you wouldn't have made it such a struggle sometimes.

I got that out of the way because mostly, I'm writing this to tell you just the opposite. I wanted to tell you thank you. Thank you for shutting one door so he could walk through the door that would eventually bring him home. Thank you for loving him and caring for him to the best of your abilities before I was able. Thank you for anything and everything you taught him, about life and about himself, and any way that you made him grow. Thank you for preparing him for me.

Because from you, he learned what he wants and doesn't want in a partner. And I am so thankful he chose me. I will never stop being thankful. And in turn, he teaches me so much. He's taught me what love truly is. He taught me how to trust. Every day he teaches me I am lovable and worthwhile. I only hope I make him feel half what he inspires within me. So thank you. Thank you for proving that sometimes from the darkest of nights, come the brightest of days. Thank you for giving me the chance to prove to him that some people are worth trusting. Thank you for leading him home.