In public, strong girls look like they’re completely over their ex. They laugh and smile like they don’t have a care in the world, like they’re living their best life.

But behind closed doors, strong girls still cry. They text their friends about how much they miss being in a relationship. They daydream about what would have happened if things turned out differently, if they were still happily in love.

The breakup hurts them, silently destroys them — but only for a short time. Because they don’t let one failed relationship ruin their entire life.

Strong girls realize that their ex was only part of their happiness.

They realize that when he left, he didn’t take everything. They still have their friends, their family, their hobbies, their work. They still have so much to be proud of, so why should they spend months crying over him?

They won’t.

Sure, they will watch romantic comedies and eat ice cream, like everybody else. They will cut their hair and have rebounds relationships. They will do all of the cliché things that girls do after breakups — but then they’ll become themselves again.

After they go through that period of pain, they’ll get back up and they’ll get their shit together. They’ll wipe away their tears and they’ll face the world head-on.

Of course, there will be setbacks along the way. There will be times when their insecurities haunt them. There will be times when they see an old picture or relive a memory and start missing him all over again.

But they will always be strong enough to move past their sadness. They will always find a way to reach inner peace.

Because they don’t need a man in order to feel fulfilled. They’re happy being single, because they realize that they are enough. That they can give themselves the same amount of love that any boy would.

So if they have to spend the next few years with a single status, that’s fine. But if they find someone else to date sooner rather than later, that’s fine, too.

Strong girls aren’t afraid to love again, even though they were hurt badly in the past. They might put a barrier around their heart, but they’ll take it down for the right person. They’ll open themselves up to love, even though it’s scary. Even though their last breakup almost tore them to shreds.

Remember, strong girls might look like they don’t give a crap about their ex, but they do. They still social media stalk him to see if he’s moved on yet and still dread the thought of running into him on a bad hair day.

Strong girls suffer from breakups, just like everybody else.

But they are able to come out from a bad situation as an even better woman, because they know that their happiness isn’t in the hands of a man. It’s in their own hands.

So, single or not, they’re going to keep smiling. They’re going to keep being badass.