How?

How do you move past the one that you thought was the love of your life? As I've been talking to a good friend of mine about his love that did him wrong, I've been thinking about this question. Everyone has that one love they lost and it hurts...bad! I recently talked to another old friend and he is divorced. He said the end of his marriage was like losing someone to death. The pain was intense and horrible. I have other friends that are having a variety of troubles in their relationships.

Here is what I know...although, I'm not sure I'm the one anyone should be listening to since I have some struggles in the dating world. :) We have to grieve the loss of the relationship. It doesn't matter if it was a death, a break up or a divorce, it is still a loss and we have to grieve it. We have to feel those emotions. Denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance. If we skip any of these steps, then we will not heal completely.

I've also realized, no matter how much I try to help my friends that are in their various stages of love problems, bottom line is, it's up to them. I can stroke their egos by telling them they are great and these women are lucky to have them, etc. I can listen to their problems and I can talk straight to them, but it isn't going to change anything. They still have to go through it and they still have to figure it out because they don't believe me anyway.

Oh, and ladies, if you are wanting some reassurance from a male friend about how great you really are and you deserve a decent guy, don't say anything when that friend is feeling bitter!! He won't be very positive! haha