The Key

I don't know how I survived the first night. I hardly slept. I wrote (and sent) an email I regret. I howled at the moon.

The first person I told the next day was my cousin. She's not just any cousin. She's my best friend. She's one of a very small handful of people who have known me from the moment I was born -- and remarkably she still likes me. We grew up together.

She came down when she heard. She stayed with me all night. She waited for me when I went to see my therapist, she waited for me to go to the gym, she listened when I needed to talk, she said nothing when I wanted silence. She's immeasurable, the best.

I was so sad when she left the next day.

I think the first important thing to do after a breakup is surround yourself with people. They take you out of your mind, help you think about things other than your pain. It's hard to find the right people to see after such a traumatic event though. It has to be someone who knows you, someone you can trust to share your feelings.

If you're lucky, you'll even have someone who's willing to take a train 45 minutes out of her way to see you when you need her. I am extremely thankful for that.