“3 SIGNS SOME BROKEN HEARTS HEAL AND WILL BE JUST FINE WITHOUT YOU” in “LIFE IN THE TIMES OF CORONA: On A Mass Exile”

They have loved you. Once upon a time, they truly did. The stories could turn out differently, depending on how you (have chosen to) respond to their feelings for you.

Perhaps you’ve loved them too – or so you thought you did. You both tried your best and it didn’t work out. It didn’t matter who was to blame; it had hurt just the same.

Perhaps you’ve never felt the same, no matter how nice they’ve been to you. That’s okay, romance can’t be forced. Feelings can never be compelled. Whatever it is, being honest with them is still much nobler than pretending. Nobody likes to be fooled that way.

Their reaction to your honesty is out of your control. Some may not be able to take it very well and end up resenting you for it. You know what to do if they ever become more dangerous to you. Cut off any contacts with them immediately. Hopefully, they’ll never end up trying to harm you, anyone you love, or even themselves too. I hope creepy stuff like that only stays in thriller/horror films.

Some may need some time away from you to heal, which is fine. At least they don’t bother you. Sometimes they come back (and hopefully feel better too), sometimes they don’t. If they no longer wish to be your friends, don’t feel bad. You’re not responsible for their happiness. They are.

There are some who can somehow take your rejection with grace. You may not believe them easily, but they do exist. Not only that, though. If they still want to be your friend even after all of that, be grateful. Not everyone can get past that and still cherish you that way. Besides, some friendships last longer, so…why not?

Anyway, here are three (3) signs that some broken hearts heal and will be just fine without you:

1. You won’t see them cry.
   Like hell, you will. Even though such a thing only makes them feel nothing but completely human, they still hate that. They still see it as a sign of (their personal) weakness.

There may be some who still try to make you feel guilty by showing you their tears. Not them, though. They’re much better than that.

Perhaps you’ve hurt their pride by rejecting them harshly. If that’s the case, then congratulations. You’ve successfully pushed them away. As you wish, you’ll never hear from them again.

If that’s not you and they take it well, don’t feel bad. If they somehow (choose to) conceal their heartbreak from you, it’s only because they know how you’ll feel. You’ll feel guilty…badly. Well, don’t. You should never feel that way because you’re off the hook. In fact, you’ve always been.

1. They’ll keep themselves busy.
   You won’t see them cry – and they know when to stop. They put their own deadline for grieving and you have to admire them for this:

They’re often tough on themselves in order to stay strong. It’s not always good, but it may be what they need at this very moment.

Then, what happens after the deadline? It’s just that simple. They pick up the pieces and start keeping themselves busy. Don’t be fooled, though. That doesn’t mean they no longer feel anything for you. That’s impossible. No one can really move on that quickly unless they never really care about you.

They just don’t want to show it. What for? That will be utterly useless. Besides, they’ve got better things to do. They still have their own lives to maintain.

1. Eventually, they’ll let you go.
   Isn’t this what you want? Isn’t this what you’ve been wishing for? Maybe you just don’t care. After all, they’ve never really meant anything to you. They were just games to play for a while until you’d finally gotten bored.

If that’s how you really are, then they’re much better off without you. Congratulations, you’ve pushed them away. They’re not going to buy you anymore.

Just make sure that you won’t miss them and have second thoughts in the future. If you do, please just keep it to yourself. They don’t need to hear that, not when you’ll only walk away again another day.

If you still care about them but you have to leave them in the dark somehow, don’t worry. If they care about you too, they’ll learn to accept that. They may not understand why and feel sad that you don’t tell them anything.

Since they care about you so much, they’ll do what you want them to. They won’t ask why you’ve somehow chosen to disappear from their lives completely.

Still, hopefully, you really know what you’ve wished for them. Make sure that you won’t have any regrets if that ever comes true.

They’re fine without you. In fact, they’ve always been. Wherever you are, they may hope that you are always safe and well.

Goodbye…

R.