He was the first person I let into my heart.

I was young and naive with no real experience with love.

The relationship that blossomed was infectious. I couldn’t get enough of it or him. We were together for years and I was happy. Probably the happiest I’ve ever been. So this was love? I wanted to stay here forever.

I loved him with everything I had.

Until one day, out of nowhere, everything changed. I began to see things about him that didn’t align with who I was. We were drafting apart, but we were in too deep, so I couldn’t just walk away. I had to stay and fight for us. For the sake of love.

The longer we stayed in it, the worse things became. The arguments. The fights. The anger. The sadness.

Yet, I continued to hold on for dear life, trying anything to save us. I thought love was worth fighting for. He didn’t think so because he became more distant.

The tighter I held on, the more pulled away.

I wasn’t ready to quit. I fought to fix us. He did the exact opposite; he destroyed it with lies and deceit.

We became strangers in each other’s stories.

He destroyed everything that I believed about love.

The day he walked out, I swore I would never love again. If this was love, I didn’t want it.

I spent years guarding my wounded heart. No one was getting in, no matter how hard they tried. I couldn’t go through the pain of love again. I wouldn’t allow myself to get hurt ever again.

And then I met someone. When I first laid eyes on him, I didn’t think much of it. He was just a guy from across the room. But there was something about him that kept my eyes on him. I wasn’t attracted to him although he was handsome. I wasn’t interested in him although it seemed the entire room begged for his attention.

I was just curious about him.

Over the next few months, this guy was at every event I attended. I continued to watch him from afar, but I stayed away. I didn’t want to meet him, but I knew he saw me watching him, so it was a matter of time before I’d have to explain myself. I didn’t have a reason for my behavior, so I avoided him until I could figure out my curiosity with him.

And then one night, I somehow lost track of his whereabouts and the next thing I knew he was standing in front of me. His eyes demanded answers and I knew things were about to change for us.

Over time, I learned so much about this guy. He was unlike my ex in every way. His kindness filled every room he entered. No wonder everyone begged for his attention. He was a good person.

He was the most authentic person I had ever met. He wasn’t afraid to be himself. No wonder I was drawn to him. He was as real as one can get.

He was smart, loving, and sensitive among other amazing qualities. We were aligned in every way.

This guy ended up being everything I ever wanted and needed. And when we started to fall in love, I ran away the moment he wasn’t looking.

Because of my ex, I was afraid.

Because of my ex, I played it safe.

Because of my ex, I couldn’t let anyone in.

I was a prisoner from my old wounds and I was hurting myself by allowing the past pain to dictate my future.

It wasn’t until the smoke cleared from my sprint that I realized how bad I had screwed up the potential for love. I thought about that guy every damn day. And because of him, I knew I had to finally let go of the past pain that was paralyzing my heart.

I had to reopen my heart to love again to allow healing, personal growth, and the potential for new relationships. It took a lot of patience with myself, but I slowly opened my heart. It was a process of letting go of past pain, learning from past relationships, and embracing vulnerability, which led to a deeper understanding of myself and the possibility of finding a love that surpasses previous experiences.

It’s vital to fall in love again because not everyone was like my ex.  I had to give love another shot.

Falling in love again helped with healing and release. Moving on allowed me to process the emotions of the breakup and begin to heal from the emotional pain and sadness. Just because it didn’t work out with one person doesn’t mean it won’t work out with the next person. Or the person after that. Falling in and out of love is a natural human experience.

Falling in love again is good for my personal growth. Experiencing a breakup can lead to self-reflection and growth, helping me understand my needs and desires in a relationship. I never knew what I needed in a relationship until I was in it. With each failed relationship, I learned new things about myself that I was able to cherish and bring into the next relationship. Important wants and needs that aligned with who I was as a person and my love story.

Falling in love again creates learning and adaptation. Each relationship, even a breakup, offers lessons that can inform future relationships, making me more aware of my own behaviors and those of others. There were so many things I learned in that relationship about myself that shaped me into the person I am today.

Falling in love again brings out vulnerability and trust. Opening my heart to love again requires vulnerability and a willingness to trust, which can be a powerful experience. I was strong enough to get back out there and fall in love again.

Falling in love again brings new opportunities. Being open to love again creates opportunities for new connections, friendships, and potentially a fulfilling romantic relationship. I love fully and completely in all my relationships now. It’s truly magical.

Falling in love again expands capacity for love. Love is not limited to one person. Loving again can expand my capacity to love and appreciate others, even if they are different from my previous partner.

Once I opened my heart, I began to believe that love was possible again. I began to believe that love could help me heal. My heartbreak was an experience, and the more I do something, the better I get at it. The more I learn about what didn’t work, the more I can learn what does. The more insight I have about myself, the more I can share with others. I was a better lover with each love story that came my way.

I never saw that guy again, the one I ran from. And I think of him from time to time. But when he crosses my mind, I’m not sad. He was the one who taught me how important it was for me to love again.

Falling in love is one of the many amazing things we get to do in this life, so fall in love as many times as you can.

Falling in love again and again and again will bring us that much closer to the love of a lifetime. The kind of love worth fighting for. The kind of love we are supposed to have. The kind of love that lasts forever.

~