So, I like to think I’m a bit of an expert on how to deal with being friends with your ex, because when I broke up with the first person I’d ever been in a long-term relationship with, I then had to go to school with them for a further 3 years or so…yeah. Sure it was painful at first, especially because they moved on before I did but it got easier and we were civil, but still, we didn’t really speak for three entire years.
Truth is, I’m not an expert at all – I merely remained civil with these people, there’s only one ex that I truly remained friends with and even we don’t really talk.
I attended my ‘graduation’ ceremony yesterday (in quotation marks because I am yet to sit the exams which decide whether or not I really graduate), so it’s safe to say that this would be the last time I ever saw that particular ex again and I felt really fuckin’ weird about it because apart from the occasional smile or hello in the corridor and common room, we had not had a conversation in three years.
It wasn’t until about midnight that I decided I should probably say something, even if only for old times sake, I mean we were best friends before we ruined that friendship so I just didn’t want to leave on a bad note, you know? So I messaged her. I very simply stated that I didn’t want to go our separate ways without knowing that we were okay, and she said that we were indeed okay.
Now you’re expecting me to tell you that this simple exchange made it better and all my feelings of awkwardness have gone away.
They have not. The same goes for my other previous partners, I can have as many conversations as I like, all positive with no tension but for me at least, the feeling of unfinished business or unspoken words never goes away. It seems to me like I never got closure on any of my past relationships and it’s an awful feeling.
So here’s my advice to you: let go of your reservations, the sooner the better. If someone hurt you, you should fucking scream at them and tell them how you feel before three years pass and it’s too late otherwise it makes you seem like a crazy person who can’t let go.
If you feel like you need to apologize or explain yourself to someone, then do it.
For the love of all that is good, do it or you will be holding on to those feelings for a stupidly long time. I still have someone that I feel like I need to apologize to and I still have someone that I feel owes me an apology; I also know that it’s never going to happen because we’ve all supposedly moved on, and that makes me feel lost and trapped and not very good at all.
Please avoid feeling like me and just say what you need to say before it’s too late (and try not to date anyone you go to school with, maybe).
IzzyMehmet 