To the Family That Helped Me Survive My Toxic Relationship, I Couldn't Have Done It Without You

Dear Family,

I want to start this off with a big thank you. Thank you for being there during the hardest time of my life thus far.

I know I wasn’t the easiest person to deal with and, more often than not, you probably wanted to shake some sense into me.

Having your heart broken by the one person you thought would never hurt you is devastating, but I promise I’ll never let it get me down like that again.

I want you all to know that no matter what happens to me in future relationships, I will be okay.

And I understand that none of you want to see me hurt that way ever again. I know seeing me like that was hard for you.

But I can’t let the fear of feeling like that stop me from loving again. And I don’t want your fear of me getting hurt to stop you from liking the next guy.

The next guy won’t be like the last guy. If I’m going to take a chance on him, I would like you guys to do the same.

I’m not an idiot, I know that liking him isn’t going to be your first instinct because you don’t want to see me get hurt.

I’m glad you guys want to protect me, but this is life. Some of the best lessons are the ones that are learned the hard way.

I mean, remember the time I face planted on the road because my shoes were untied? It hurt like hell, but I kept my shoes tied after that.

I know that I’ve been in some pretty bad relationships and put up with being treated far worse than I deserved.

Each one taught me a little something about myself.

Each one taught me a little something about life. I don’t regret a single one of them.

I don’t wish things with them would have ended differently. Why, you ask? Because those relationships and those hard times made me who I am today.

I am beyond happy with that person and I know you all are proud of who I’ve become.

And I was once mentally abused and my self-confidence was destroyed. I was young and thought I was in love.

My random, crazy personality was too much for that person to handle, so he tried to destroy it. In some ways, he did.

Years later, I have regained my confidence. My random, crazy personality is shining brighter than it ever has.

I will not change who I am to please another person ever again. There is someone out there that will love my acts of randomness and will even join me in them.

If there is one thing I learned, it’s that no matter how good a person sounds, their actions speak way louder.

I will never again put 110% of my effort into someone and accept only getting 25% of theirs in return.

Teamwork is important.

I want you all to know this as I start dating someone: No matter what happens, I will be okay.

Going through that painful experience has taught me that I am strong enough to survive on my own and, if need be, I will.

I will never ever again give someone the power to make me feel less than I am.

I know that I have a good heart and God has made someone strong enough to love it. All of the people God put in my life are there for a reason.

I can’t thank you all enough for not giving up on me. Thank you for helping me pick up those pieces and put them back together. I honestly couldn’t have done it without you.

Love,