Katie Wilhelm

People pull away, fade away, go away and we are left to pick up the pieces. This is the time in which we will find out the most about ourselves.

I know what it is like to be broken. And I am so incredibly lucky that I do. I can understand life on a deeper level.

It’s been brilliant.

I have been on the other side of heartbreak before: the side with the endless amount of tears, the loss of identity and the overwhelming, hovering grief.

And not only will you never know, you will never understand, which are two very different concepts.

It was the memory of us that wouldn’t allow me to sleep at night. It was the remnants of mental images of us that caused me so many tears. It was the thought of us together that made this pain so excruciating.

You will no longer crave their words in your ear or their touch on your skin. You do not need them to live a fulfilled life.

They are worth all of the pain that you will feel in their absence. They are worth the looks you will receive from people who cannot fathom being in a relationship through college. They are worth the distance.

So while it may hurt to be a girl without a father, it doesn’t have to dictate the way you live your life.

You didn’t just stop having feelings for each other and you didn’t stop being in love with each other. Someone just had a lot of doubt and it ended. It hurt but someone felt that it was a choice that had to be made. However, that doesn’t mean that it was easy for either of you.

When you’re getting ready to leave, DO NOT SHAKE THE SAND OFF OF YOUR TOWELS IN OTHER PEOPLE’S DIRECTION.

You will not be OK at first. And that’s fine. You will find the strength to pick yourself up off the floor in time. On your own time.