Growing from Heartbreak

2016 brought me a lot of things. One of those things was true heartbreak.
I have chosen to share my journey in dealing with heartbreak in an effort to inspire those who may be dealing with any of the difficulties we face in life.

First off, I want to say 2016 gave me so much good and I am beyond grateful. I will also say that so much of that good came from my relationship, so when it came to an end, you can understand how it felt like my world had come crashing down. I will not focus on the immediate feelings that were felt but I do want to tell you about the good that came from this change I experienced. Yes, there was good that came from my heartbreak.

You see, I believe there is good in every situation, you just have to look hard enough to find it. In slowing down and thinking about what had happened, I remembered that nothing bad had ended it all. The timing wasn't right and that's okay. In accepting that, I was able to see all the incredible ways my life had changed through my relationship in the past year and a half.

Mike empowered me. He taught me how to be myself. Through our relationship I was able to become comfortable in my own skin. We gave each other the encouragement to come out, something I know I will never regret. He gave me the courage to face my anxieties. Our long distance relationship forced me to work hard to overcome the anxiety I have struggled with for so long. While there are so many other wonderful lessons I learned through our relationship, the most important to me is that I learned to genuinely love.

These are the silver linings I have chosen to focus on in recent weeks. I have nothing to be upset about. While dealing with change is difficult, I am so glad I have so many incredible memories and have learned so many important lessons. Always look for the silver linings in life.

One last thing I realized in going through this process is how many incredible friends I have made in Charlotte. The amount of people who were more than willing to go out of their way to comfort me was unbelievable. Thank you to those who were there for me, it did not go unnoticed.

While one chapter of my life has come to an end, a new one has begun. I am thankful I have so much good to remember. I am grateful to have had someone be such an important part of my journey. Thanks for helping me be my best self. As I move on, I move on a stronger, better person than I was a year and a half ago. For that, I'll smile.