I Didn't Want It To End, But We Needed It To
Letting you go was one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do. I thought you would always be in my life and when you left I had no idea if I'd ever been able to get over it. The way you shut the door in my face, deadbolted it, and left me out in the cold didn’t surprise me but it left me with one question.
You always wanted what was best for me. The thing is you knew the way you left was going to destroy me, but you did it anyway. So the question that goes back and forth in my mind is, were you finally giving up on me or doing what you thought was best for me? That’s the question that’ll forever go unanswered for me.
When we met little did I know you were going to drown me in your deep waters? Never did I think that trying to love you would feel as if I were constantly being thrown overboard a ship. I didn’t even blame you for it, but I thought maybe you would save me. I grabbed onto your hand thinking you’d pull me out, but you would just let me sink into the abyss every single time.
Our fatal flaw was never knowing how to exist without casualties in a war we were fighting of who could hurt the other more. Both of us fed off the chaos we created, as long we didn’t have to live without each other it didn’t matter the cost. We had convinced each other and everyone else that it was love, but we were fooling them as much as we were ourselves.
If it was love then maybe I wouldn’t have tried so hard to change you and you wouldn’t have left so many breadcrumbs on a path you always knew was leading to nowhere.
My love for you will always exist, but I can’t wait any longer for you to make up your mind. I need my own sanity more than I need you anymore. As much as I want to keep you in my life it’s better to love you from a distance because if I get too close you might burn me again.
At the end of the day, there’s no use in trying to stop someone from leaving or trying to make them love you. You just did not want to be a part of my life anymore. And that hurts. But it’s not anything to get sad about because if we are meant to be in each other’s lives we will be, if not we won’t.
I will always love you, but it’s time for me to move on.
Opinions and Perspectives
The way they describe the cycle of hope and disappointment is so accurate.
The honesty in this piece is refreshing. No pretending it was something it wasn't.
Makes me think about all the times I stayed too long in situations I should have left.
I see both strength and vulnerability in these words. That's what makes it so real.
This piece really captures the complexity of loving someone who isn't good for you.
Something beautiful about accepting that not all stories have happy endings.
The description of mutual self-destruction is spot on. Been there, survived that.
Powerful how they acknowledge the love will always exist but choose to walk away anyway.
Reading this gave me chills. I could have written these exact words a year ago.
The war metaphor really works here. Some relationships do feel like constant battles.
I'm struck by how much energy we waste trying to figure out other people's motivations.
The ending feels both sad and hopeful. Sometimes that's exactly how moving on feels.
It's amazing how we can know something is bad for us but still want it so desperately.
This reminds me why setting boundaries is so important, even with people we love.
The way they describe love as something that can exist without active participation is fascinating.
Does anyone else feel like they've been both people in this story at different times?
Reading this made me grateful for my current healthy relationship. Been through the toxic ones before.
The confusion about whether someone is helping or hurting you is so real in toxic relationships.
Interesting how they never specify what actually went wrong. Makes it more relatable somehow.
This piece captures that moment when you realize love isn't enough to sustain a relationship.
The metaphor about burning is perfect. Some people really do leave us scorched.
I find myself wondering what happened after this was written. Did they truly move on?
The part about trying to change someone really struck me. We do this thinking it's love, but it's actually control.
Lost count of how many times I've read this. Each time I notice something new about my own past relationships.
I appreciate how the writer acknowledges their own role in the dysfunction. That's rare.
The line about chaos and casualties really captures how some relationships thrive on drama.
This reminds me why I'm taking a break from relationships. Sometimes we need to heal ourselves first.
I wonder if the other person in this story would tell it differently. There are always two sides.
The way they describe the door being shut and deadbolted is such a powerful image of finality.
Love how raw and honest this is. No sugar coating, just pure emotional truth.
The breadcrumbs metaphor is brilliant. We follow these tiny hopes thinking they'll lead somewhere meaningful.
I'm currently watching my best friend go through this exact situation. I wish I could make them see what I see.
The part about sanity over love really resonates. There comes a point where self-preservation has to win.
I actually disagree with most comments here. Sometimes people just grow apart, it doesn't have to be toxic.
The war metaphor is spot on. Some relationships feel like constant battles where nobody wins.
It's fascinating how we can recognize these patterns in others but struggle to see them in our own relationships.
That final line about always loving them but needing to move on is the perfect conclusion. Sometimes love isn't enough.
This piece beautifully captures the complexity of ending a relationship that's both passionate and destructive.
The way they describe convincing everyone else it was love really hits hard. We all perform for others sometimes.
I wish more people would realize that love shouldn't feel like drowning.
Can we talk about how accurately this captures the cycle of toxic relationships? The hope, the pain, the repetition.
What strikes me most is how self-aware the writer is about the dysfunction, yet stayed anyway. We've all been there.
The ending feels unresolved, but I suppose that's how these situations often are in real life.
I don't understand why people romanticize these kinds of destructive relationships. There's nothing beautiful about mutual harm.
The part about loving from a distance really speaks to me. Sometimes that's the only healthy option we have.
Honestly, I think both people in this story sound equally toxic. Sometimes there isn't a clear victim or villain.
The imagery of being thrown overboard repeatedly is haunting. It perfectly captures that feeling of emotional abandonment.
Reading this made me realize I'm currently in this exact situation. I needed this wake-up call.
Sometimes walking away is the greatest act of love, both for yourself and the other person. I learned this the hard way.
The question about whether they were giving up or doing what's best is such a powerful moment of reflection.
I find it interesting how we convince ourselves and others that toxic patterns are love. Been there, done that.
This reminds me of my last relationship. We kept hurting each other thinking it was love, but it was just dependency.
The writing style is beautiful, but I can't help wondering if staying in such a toxic relationship for so long was worth it.
I actually think the author is being too kind. If someone deliberately hurts you while claiming to want what's best for you, that's just manipulation.
Anyone else feel like they're reading their own story here? The part about mutual destruction in relationships is so real.
The line about breadcrumbs leading nowhere really resonated with me. We often ignore the signs because we're too invested in what we think the relationship could be.
I disagree with the part about not getting sad. It's perfectly normal to feel devastated when someone chooses to walk away.
The metaphor about drowning in deep waters really struck me. Sometimes love can feel exactly like that, especially when you're giving everything but getting nothing back.
This article hits so close to home. I've been through something similar and the raw emotions described are exactly what I felt.