This isn't going to be the end of this story, is it?
Break ups (well, of a sort) are much easier to deal with when the people* you care about tell you how impressed they are that you followed through and did it. And much as D really should've taken responsibility, the fact that I had to instead allows me to tell myself the same. There are a lot of "at leasts" in this situation: at least I had a few days of extreme happiness, at least we'll stay friends, at least D thinks well of me, at least I have my self-respect. (Doesn't change that I'm hurt and lonely, though dealing fine.)
I cannot save him. He can't save her, but much as I wish I could, I can't same him, either. I will learn to stop trying.
*Why is it that adults say that and kids never even think about it? I mean, I don't have a large sample size in this particular instance, but in general, whenever you do something difficult but *right,* I have a (very) few adults I can count on to say "I'm so proud of you for doing the right thing." Kids say things like, "Oh, that sucks, I'm so sorry you had to do that," and they're sympathetic in other ways, but I rarely hear someone my age or younger say or even imply "I'm proud of you." Do we just not feel like we're in a position to say that? I think it just never really enters the mind, but I wonder why.
I cannot save him. He can't save her, but much as I wish I could, I can't same him, either. I will learn to stop trying.
*Why is it that adults say that and kids never even think about it? I mean, I don't have a large sample size in this particular instance, but in general, whenever you do something difficult but *right,* I have a (very) few adults I can count on to say "I'm so proud of you for doing the right thing." Kids say things like, "Oh, that sucks, I'm so sorry you had to do that," and they're sympathetic in other ways, but I rarely hear someone my age or younger say or even imply "I'm proud of you." Do we just not feel like we're in a position to say that? I think it just never really enters the mind, but I wonder why.