to look back on what was lost

ph: weheartit

C,

I know my words will likely fall on deaf ears, but if it’s the choice between wishing on a star and doing nothing, I’d take the star every time and hope that you might find my letter here and read it with an open heart. Most days in life are as forgettable as the next – things don’t change, people follow the same patterns and do the same things. It’s a rare day that goes to shape a person, the simply great moments and the truly horrible ones, that will last forever burnt into someone’s mind. It’s in these moments that we find who we truly are, and set ourselves on a course to be who we want to be.
You told me that when we met, you had never felt for someone what you felt for me. While I never told you, I felt the same incredible spark, that glowing feeling where everything around you is brighter, newer and in all ways better than before. You set me free, took me on adventure after adventure and showed me a side of life I had never imagined, and in return I showed you the same. We loved a love that has been written about to the point that every word about it is cliché. And that’s okay, because it’s the simplest and most powerful joy in human life. Never before has someone inspired me the way you did.
I do not blame you for walking away, far from it. The days that I would spend with you playfully became less common, the talks of dreams and seeing the world sparser, the basic act of listening which I did not fully comprehend yet was lacking, and in the end I failed to see the simple things you needed.
If there is one saving grace though for heartbreak and time alone, it’s that when the storm clears, we have the ability to look back on what was lost, to see mistakes made, and choose to better ourselves for it. I kept a wall up, and I have only myself to blame for that, but in this moment of letting my secrets go, my feelings for you are as simple as this – every day we spent together was the best day of my life. I know now that the love you gave to me – not the heart-skipping, pulse pounding excitement that I first had with you, but your desire to be with me that kept my heart aflame – was in all ways perfect. I know I’ve said you were perfect before, but I’m not sure I ever really explained that this is how I meant it. If I still had you with me today, not a single moment would pass that I wouldn’t make you feel the same.
I know I can’t make you choose to open your heart up to me again. But if I could now, I would make you feel that perfect love that you gave me. I would run wild with those clichés - I would be outside your office with flowers every day, I would take you on all those trips we planned, I would get lost with you in adventure, I would drive off into the sunset with you with no real direction and only the desire to spend time with you, to be with you, to make you smile that way that lights up the night. I know I won’t always be perfect, and I know I won’t always be new and fascinating, but given the chance I’d grab your hand and take you on the most incredible journey of a lifetime. If there’s one thing I wish you take from this note, in hopes that you find true happiness, it’s that you discover what those who have come before us and found happily ever after know - that the butterflies aren’t what define love, but are what lead you to it. Until then I’ll be waiting with butterflies.

Love,
P

we keep on living

ph: ruuca

Dear You,

When you ended our relationship after I surprised you on your birthday, the future looked dismal to me. I didn’t know what to do, I didn’t know what to think or feel. Our relationship just felt like one big mess. I wanted to clean it up but I didn’t know how to start – too many things were said and done. But it’s been four months after the breakup and guess what? I’m standing on my own two feet and people say that I look better than I ever did when I was with you. Although it hurts sometimes and I miss you every single day, I am at peace and my world has never felt so put together... so right.

I compared my current healing process to the first one I had to go through when I was in high school. I must say, I did a much better job today. It took me almost a year to get over a silly, little high school boy but it took me just a few months to get over you, my first real boyfriend. I ask myself how I did it. Besides of course the wisdom that comes with age, I think I really had no choice but to make myself strong. If I did otherwise, I would probably be the most bitter and broken girl right now. The things you did to me were unfathomable. You swallowed me, you put me down, and towards the end you treated me like I didn’t matter. Anyone who had to go through that would probably have the same reaction as I did.

But that night you broke up with me and made me walk in the pouring rain, I realized that I couldn’t play the role of the victim anymore. I was sick and tired of it. So I toughened my heart and my head. I became my own friend and told myself that I didn’t deserve this. So the past four months has been all about that. More than getting over you, it was about finding me and allowing myself to be loved by me, my loved ones, and by God. You made me crumble during the relationship and I wasn’t going to allow that to happen again after the relationship. So I built my world again. And I continue to do so.

Although you have hurt me like no one has, I still love and miss you. I still wish that things could be different but they’re not. And you know what? This time, it’s okay. I just hope that one day we can be great friends again – just like the way it started out. In the meantime, I’ll pray for you and hope for the best for your life. And as for me, I’ll give myself what I deserve. That’s what survivors, warriors, and fighters do. We pick ourselves up and we keep on living.

Always, Me

you will be happy again

ph: ffffound + jiaxuan

somebody that i used to know

"Somebody That I Used To Know" - Gotye ft. Kimbra

Now and then I think of when we were together
Like when you said you felt so happy you could die
Told myself that you were right for me
But felt so lonely in your company
But that was love and it's an ache I still remember

You can get addicted to a certain kind of sadness
Like resignation to the end, always the end
So when we found that we could not make sense
Well you said that we would still be friends
But I'll admit that I was glad that it was over

But you didn't have to cut me off
Make out like it never happened and that we were nothing
And I don't even need your love
But you treat me like a stranger and that feels so rough
No you didn't have to stoop so low
Have your friends collect your records and then change your number
I guess that I don't need that though
Now you're just somebody that I used to know

Now you're just somebody that I used to know
Now you're just somebody that I used to know

[Kimbra:]
Now and then I think of all the times you screwed me over
But had me believing it was always something that I'd done
And I don't wanna live that way
Reading into every word you say
You said that you could let it go
And I wouldn't catch you hung up on somebody that you used to know

[Gotye:]
But you didn't have to cut me off
Make out like it never happened and that we were nothing
And I don't even need your love
But you treat me like a stranger and that feels so rough
And you didn't have to stoop so low
Have your friends collect your records and then change your number
I guess that I don't need that though
Now you're just somebody that I used to know

Somebody
(I used to know)
Somebody
(Now you're just somebody that I used to know)

like bubbles

ph: weheartit

I hereby stop thinking of boys. Stop thinking that "maybe there’s still someone out there for me", making up scenarios in my head about how I could meet someone, about how it would be to be with someone. I hereby stop falling in love with boys that do in fact exist, but which I give nonexistent fantastic personalities in my mind, without even knowing them. I will now stop doing all of this, thinking and dreaming about all of this. It’s only taking precious time that could be used in some other way. It’s only taking my energy and making me hope for things that cannot, and probably will not happen. These thoughts are like bubbles, hurting me when they break and when I realize that it was always only in my head and never for real. I hereby stop doing this. If I am to experience love, I want it to be for real. And if I’m not, well that sucks, but life goes on, and I like to believe that there’s more to it than falling in love. From now on, I’m going to stop making up all these dreams, and going to focus on the reality instead. Life can be so much more, and you have only one, so why waste it on this pointless dreaming. It may sound harsh, but I’m done with these dreams now. They give me nothing but a heartache.

I’m not giving up on love. And I know that dreams can be a wonderful way to escape reality. I just don’t want for them to take over. I don’t want to hold on to these dream-bubbles and make myself fly so high that I won’t survive the fall.

Sanna

so i never have to live without you

ph: Samhäll

up in flames

ph: c-loser

B,

Some people dream of slowly walking away in silence as something spectacular goes up in flames behind them. Like the number one thriller that everyone dreams could be their life. And here I am to say...I watched you walk that walk, while the flames simply engulfed me. I wasn’t ready to burn or be burned. No one knew to save me, except the one that lit the fire.

It’s magnificent from your view, but what about me. I’m too solid to be destroyed but God, this hurts, this hurts me more and more. I can’t find a place that isn’t marked with your perfection. I can’t find of clean piece in the wreckage to rebuild. But when it happens in a small town, the foundation never really disappears.

Give in...come back...and love ME. Stop looking, stop walking further into the distance. Come here and save me. I am telling you B that you will not ever find a heart that can withstand your flame. No heart can hold on this tight when all odds are pulling the other side. Turn around and look, I’m still here. There will never be a time when you turn around and don’t see me standing here.

You may have to walk back through flames but I’m the only one that can make it through them to love you when the smoke clears. Choose me, Love me.

S