10 Reasons I Owe My Ex A ‘Thank You’

I know what you’re thinking…but hear me out before you rip my head off. I have spent the last four months holding onto anger and hate for my ex. He was the slimiest of them all and cheated on me during the whole two year relationship. I swear I would’ve never thought I would be thanking him one day for what I thought was “ruining my life.” However, the thing with bad break ups is that at the end of the storm, you come out stronger than ever and wiser than Ghandi, Tyra Banks and Carrie Bradshaw combined.

I was recently sent a quote by Buddah that said, “Holding onto anger is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die.” That quote is what lead me to think about everything over the past two years, and finally a light bulb clicked and I realized I was done being sad. It was time to move on, let go of all the negative bullshit I have been reliving over and over the past few months, and just be blissfully happy. And honestly, thanking my ex is a part of that. Here’s to the good times, the bad times, and everything in between that has made you into the person you are right now and the person you’re becoming.

1. I thank you for cheating on me.

Not only has this taught me to not trust anyone ever again, but it has also taught me that there is no such thing as too many doctors visits. It’s always better to be safe than sorry.

2. I thank you for all the people you’ve introduced me to, and the people we’ve met together.

You gave me a whole second family that was all your own, yet took me in like I was part of the clan from the get-go. Even to this day, I Snapchat everyday, and grab sushi with your dad’s girlfriend. Your crazy (but harmless and loving) mother and I send drink recipes and incredibly hilarious/inappropriate memes back and forth almost every day. Our best friends are still our best friends, we all just can’t hangout together anymore. I find this a little unfortunate because you and I used to be the glue that held everyone together, and there was never a moment when we were all together that one of us weren’t laughing hysterically. But regardless we’re still friends.

3. Thanks for being in the military.

After we broke up, I test drove three other military guys in hopes that I could scratch the “they’re all the same” mentality out of my mind. But surprise! You are all the same. However, I must admit that you all do share a few similar qualities (other than being womanizers) like: you’re all incredibly brave, have crazy abs, have a filthy humor (that I absolutely adore), can’t cook to save your lives, have that protective gene, drive really nice cars, and flex your massive biceps in attempts to set the mood. And I curse the day I loose you over seas.

4. I thank you again for cheating on me because it has taught me that most girls are just straight up bitches.

So when you come across a good bunch of girlfriends, keep them close and don’t take advantage of finding friends that aren’t like the rest of the female population.

5. Thank you for traveling and adventuring with me.

We saw so much of Canada together, and quiet frankly, I wouldn’t have wanted anyone else by my side. You made me fall in love with long drives, and unplanned excursions. You and I made memories in almost every single province. Most importantly, you made me fall in love with the East Coast.

6. Thanks for treating me the way you did, both the good and the bad.

You made me realize what I want in a life partner, and what I most definitely don’t. You showed me the way you should feel when one is in love. You reminded me that not everyone that comes into your life is meant to stay. You made me come to terms with my self confidence issues, and pushed me to become a healthier, better version of myself for ME.

7. I thank you for making me choose to listen to my gut, and not my stupid heart.

I listened to my heart the whole time, and pushed my gut feeling out of my mind, when in reality I should’ve ran when my gut told me to…the very first time, two months in.

8. Thank-you for proving to me that love at first sight is real.

The first time we met is still one of my top five favorite moments in my life.

9. Thanks for giving me my space after I broke up with you.

You gave me time to heal and pick up all the pieces. You didn’t give me a moment to quiver and bend and take you back like every single time before. You finally realized what damage you had done to me. However, thanks for saying happy birthday to me and checking up on me a month later. It gave me a good night to break down and cry and realize how much I had been holding in…and get completely white girl wasted alone in my room.

10. I can’t thank you enough for being the best friend and lover I’ve ever had.

You listened when I needed to vent. You made me laugh when I wanted to cry. You held my hair back and rubbed my back when I threw up after a night of drinking too much. You read every single love article I sent you, and even sent some back. You fed my addiction to teriyaki beef jerky and calamari. You listened to all my shitty indie music. You bought me lovely gifts and took me out to all of our favourite restaurants. You let me give you sappy stupid nicknames. You let me sing at the top of my lungs to Luke Bryan and Jason Aldean in your car. You loved my little brother and treated him like he was your own little brother that you always wanted. You joked around with me and let me tickle you until you laughed my favourite laugh of all times. You put up with all the stupid emojis and “LOVE ME” messages I sent every second of every day. You helped me out financially. You watched The Heat with me even though you hated that movie with every inch of your being. You supported my dreams, even the “stupid” ones. You taught me new things every day. You dreamed about the future with me and reminisced about the past. You loved me when I couldn’t even love myself. You were my “home” and my soft spot to land during hard times. You were my soulmate and more of myself than I ever was. You taught me how to let my heart heal, and how to come back alive after a WW3 mental war.

And for all of that and more, I can’t thank you enough.