Member-only story
Why Every Couple Should Break Up
Bryan Reeves recently stumbled upon one of the most important aspects of building a sound and stable relationship. It happened during the most beautiful breakup.
By Bryan Reeves
I recently experienced the most beautiful breakup.
It happened inside a tiny bathroom in a rental cabin my girlfriend (now ex) and I were staying in near Tahoe, California. Well into a severe drought, this normally thriving winter playground had little snow, which could be a metaphor for our relationship because it had stopped being a fun playground, too.
After just three months, we had left the all-things-dreamy phase and were entering the work phase.
Here’s why: expectations had started creeping into the relationship like kudzu vine. We were slowly suffocating from lack of loving sunlight.
What happened in that bathroom is simple: We let each other off the hook.
We told the truth about what we were each experiencing in the relationship without making each other wrong or responsible in any way.
Then we intentionally gave back to each other the freedom to be whoever we authentically wanted to be.
