Relationships aren't really something that I'm good at. I've never been the type of person that has had an easy time with making connections, whether they are romantic or platonic. I know the main reason behind this is me trying my best to protect myself from disappointment and heart-break, but I also have started to realize that walking this earth alone isn't the correct way to live.
In the beginning of August, I decided that I would try something new, so I decided to make a connection with someone I knew I cared about and had the potential to love. it was a decision that terrified me but I had promised myself that I would try to change and put myself in uncomfortable situations. It turned out to be amazing, while it lasted. I knew going into something like this that it would eventually end because everything does end, but somehow I made peace with that and continued to fall for him.
It all ended less than a month ago. I originally thought this would completely wreck me and close me out to the world again but the loss ended up doing the opposite. At first it hurt to know that I wasn't enough for someone who I believed was everything but the entire situation taught me that it's okay to feel things, to let people in. I was now more open than ever. I wouldn't cower away from another opportunity to love someone again.
Now that Valentine's Day is starting to make an appearance, I don't feel like I'm going to miss out because I'm no longer in a relationship with him (platonic or romantic). I've made peace with the idea that I'm better off alone and I'm content that way. I've learned that happiness is found within me and not within someone else.
-Anna Dominguez, Junior Poetry Editor