The above image is from a blog I subscribe to entitled Thought Questions. I thought as my birthday is next week, it’s a perfect question to reflect upon.
5 years ago I was just about to turn 22. My first serious relationship that had lasted four years just ended minutes ago. It was an ugly breakup. I was feeling pretty raw, disillusioned, and exposed. Thus far, it was the hardest year I’ve experienced but the most rewarding. The next five years, I’ve reinforced the friendships I managed to salvage from that breakup and made some really great new friends. These strangers kind of rallied around me despite not knowing me and haven’t left. I’m not as sweet as I was before but I’m nice enough. I do more of what I want even if it means doing it by myself. I speak up a little bit more. I try to not publish private happenings online. I’m emotionally tougher than I was at 22. I’m no saint but if I were, I’d be the patron saint of broken hearts. I have a new empathy for loss of first loves I didn’t have 5 years ago and have taken many a broken heart under my wings. In 5 years, I’ve grown to be more confident, despite being aware of more shortcomings, and more forthcoming, despite cultivating public reservation.
I wasn’t aware while it was happening, but in the last 5 years I’ve grown a lot.