Your first breakup is always the hardest: It rewires your brain. It breaks your heart in ways you didn’t know were possible. You retrace every step that led to the breakup, wondering if you made the right choices. You are filled with every emotion humanly possible, and you try your best to handle them. In my case, I was confused about everything that led to my relationship ending. I was angry that I let a cruel boy break my heart, and I was sad because I missed that cruel boy. I hated everything about the situation I found myself in, so I tried everything to get over my feelings.
Whether it’s succumbing to grief and seeking revenge for a loved one, reclaiming your humanity in a journey to spread your wife’s ashes with your son, or discovering what it means to be human as artificial intelligence, video games can produce authentic and powerful emotions through stories we would otherwise be unable to live.
This may seem like a pretty intuitive or obvious notion. However, upon finding the literature on place attachment, I’ve found a way to make sense of my emotional turmoil as graduation approaches.
TikTok houses what I like to call “BreakupTok,” a trend where users can discuss breakups, share experiences and give advice. As someone who enjoys reading through Pinterest quotes and relating to other people’s experiences, I love “BreakupTok” and how it allows my own experiences to feel heard and seen.
I don’t have the answer to every situationship or romance qualm. I couldn’t tell you how to rebound perfectly after a breakup, or how to win over the person of your dreams. But it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to understand how love works, or what it feels like. I think the harder part is finding a way to aptly put this multifaceted emotion into written words.
One of the most important things I have learned thus far from my breakup is how important respect is. Going forward, it is one of my top priorities —both for myself and my relationships.
Dear Abby: Please help! I don’t know what to do, my friends are telling me that I don’t spend enough time with them, and that I am prioritizing my boyfriend over them –– but I think I balance the relationships well. Am I in the wrong for spending too much time with my boyfriend? How do I save my friendships?
In a world where expectations can feel as high as the skyscrapers of Boston, embracing the simplicity of being “just a girl” has become my guide. It’s a reminder that –– in the midst of societal norms –– it’s perfectly fine to be just a girl. To just be human. Without the weight of expectations.
Dear Abby: What’s the deal with people leading each other on these days? Someone who I thought liked me turns out to not want anything to do with me romantically — why did this happen, and how can I keep avoiding this problem?
I’m not good at breakups, if that’s a skill someone can have. I’ve ended things, sure, but more often than not, I find myself ghosting and falling out of favor with people instead. In some cases,...
