After Being Dumped on Valentine’s, I Learned to Love Myself Better
And respect myself more.
I woke up the morning of Valentine’s Day to his message: “I just don’t think I have enough time to talk to anyone right now I’m sorry.”
Unlike other Tinder relationships that had fallen apart, I felt heartbroken over ours. Not only because he picked the absolute worst day, but also because I was so excited about us. On the more serious side, he gave me hope that I could trust men, even though I’d recently experienced sexual assault. On the less serious, but still meaningful side, his text messages had exclamation points and personality, something I value and believe is hard to find.
When others asked me what I wanted in a relationship, he checked off so many boxes. Meeting him made me feel like I’d found a french fry at the bottom of the to-go bag after thinking I’d finished. He made me feel safe, comfortable and attractive — feelings I hadn’t grown totally accustomed to yet.
If I was a pencil, he was a crossword: black and white, but still engaging. Our relationship seemed so easy, and him so straightforward, but I still enjoyed our conversations in person and over text.
But looking back, I think about the nights he spent drunk and throwing up with boys who praised that. I wonder if he…
