Moving Forward: How to End Relationships

By Vanessa Herrera

As the saying goes, all good things must come to an end. One of those endings can be relationships, hitting you like a ball of fire without warning or knowing from the beginning it wouldn’t last. Ending a relationship can be the best feeling in the world, celebrating with your friends and feeling freer than a hummingbird. On the other hand, it can also be the worst, finding yourself lost in tears and not knowing how to cope with the pain. Everyone has to take the same road of moving forward, but it’s more difficult to do so when you’re in heartbreak.

Moving on requires time and patience, two difficult factors to achieve in this fast-paced life. The phrase “time heals everything” is overused yet underrated. The last thing people want to hear is redundant phrases that are meant to make them feel better. Although you don’t want to hear or accept it, it’s honestly the truth. You can’t simply hit “delete” on your feelings that grew over time or press “skip” on the Moving Forward playlist.

Don’t force yourself to move on. It’s okay to feel bummed out once in a while, especially in the beginning. Day by day, you will slowly start to heal and you won’t even notice. The day will come when you can look back at your previous relationship and remember the good memories with happiness rather than sadness.

Shutting out everyone because of your pain is not the answer either. It’s understandable that you may want some time alone to cry while eating ice cream and listening to Taylor Swift or Drake songs. But as harsh as it might sound, life goes on. Take one or two days to hide from the world, but not a whole month.

Your friends feel your pain and try their best to get the “normal” you back. They’re the best people to trash talk your ex with, keeping you company when you need it most. If you’re having a hard time finding the motivation to move on, do it for them. They are the ones who also carry the weight of your pain until the end. They know when you are truly happy, and until every rock is taken off your shoulders, they will be there in pain with you.

You owe it to yourself to get up and continue being the amazing, beautiful person you are. Don’t let a single person push you down and destroy everything you have worked for. If the relationship was a healthy and happy one, cherish the memories and lessons you learned. If you were in a toxic relationship, remember the capacity of your strength and confidence because you were able to walk away. It will be a difficult journey but you can do it, one step at a time. So get up and show the world what you are made of.