So, I finally broke it off with my boyfriend of two years, this weekend. He is not taking it well. I however feel like a burden has been lifted off of my shoulders. I will always love him but we are in two different places in our life. I told him that we didn't have to make it into a sad, nasty break up and his response to me was, "You're not the one on the receiving end of this." That broke my heart because the last thing I want to do is bring him pain but at the same time I have to think about what is best for me. I guess the best thing to do is keep the calling and texting to a minimum and just let time heal his pain, right? I mean we had two beautiful years together but I am 23 years old and he is 42. He was my first boyfriend/relationship and he taught me a lot about myself but this is a chance for me to explore and date other guys my age, right? I know in my heart ending it was the right thing, it just hurts me to cause pain on someone else.
Time will help him heal. What's important is that it was a learning experience for you (and probably for him too) about relationships. There is no such thing as a pain-free break up, you did all you could to let him down easy (some people get dropped, which makes it a lot worse). He'll move on, just like you. Doing what's right for you doesn't make you selfish. It makes you strong.
At the end of the day, you had to do what was right for you. Breaking up is not pain- free for either party. It's a loss of who you were, part of your identity is in that relationship. However, it sounds like it was a good relationship and one you will always cherish. Hopefully, eventually you guys can remain friends. But it would also not be fair to ur bf if you kept dating him while at the same time you desired someone else.
