It’s been over a year since my last relationship and although we were not romantically involved, I would support him until recently when I decided to choose my health over sacrificing myself for him and what he was going through.
I chose to take some time from him to heal and it has been a process. As with all journeys of transformation, I have learned a lot. Mostly to be patient with myself but other things, too.

Here are 3 Things that I wish I knew before I decided to leave my last relationship:

1. You can love someone and still end a relationship with them.
When I met this man, I strongly believed that he was the one. Honestly, sometimes I think he still is but time will tell if that is the case. He was everything I had been looking for and more. I learned so much from him and grew immensely as a person. I will always be grateful for his presence in my life.
But the time came when I realized that although I loved him, I couldn’t stay in the relationship with him due to his circumstances. It was a tough decision but one that I don’t regret making. You can have all the love in the world for someone and acknowledge that being with them might not be the best or healthiest option for you.

2. There is no need to rush getting over someone.
When I left Los Angeles, I had dreamed of the dating life that I wanted and when I would start dating, I realized that I was not over this past relationship. I had been suppressing how I felt. That it is hard dating after being with someone who meant so much to you.
I was avoiding that I was secretly comparing new men in my life to him and it was not fair to them. So, I decided to hold off on dating until I have processed my emotions and fully healed from my past.

3. Sometimes we don’t know everything but we can still make the most of what we have got.
The main reason that I moved away from Los Angeles was to heal from the past. So many things reminded me of him and I would see his face on billboards and people would mention his name. It was hurtful to be reminded that the person who a lot of people think is a great person actually is and I decided to no longer be with them.
When I got to where I currently live, I felt a sense of freedom that I haven’t felt in a long time. The liberty of being able to heal. While I take it a step at a time, I do not know what the outcome will be but I do know that my better and wiser days are ahead of me and I am focusing on that.