Broken

As I write this post, I'm drinking coffee out of a ceramic mug. Imagine I took that mug and threw it at the wall in front of me with all the force I have. Naturally, the ceramic mug is going to break once it hits the wall. Maybe some of the pieces will break again when it hits the floor. I could walk over to the mess I created and gather the pieces. With those pieces, I could begin to rebuild the mug it used to be. Using some sort of adhesive, I was able to "fix" the mug. However, it's not the mug it used to be. All the big pieces are there, but there are a couple of tiny, missing pieces here and there. And while the glue is holding all the pieces together, is the mug really as strong as it used to be? What happens when the glue dries up? Once again, the mug will fall apart. Maybe not as violently as the first time, but it will crumble without the glue to hold it together. After it falls apart a second time, you decide its time for a new mug. You hate to discard it so easily...you have a ton of memories drinking coffee from this mug. However, you're getting frustrated with your current mug. You're tired of worrying if the super glue holding it together is dishwasher safe and you're hesitant to bump it off your counter because the whole thing might fall apart. As much as you love this mug you got in Disney World when you were 10, you find yourself yearning for something different. Something more mature, strong, reliable, and new.

Take this whole scenario and apply it to a romantic relationship. Yeah, I bet its tempting to get back together with your ex. But wake up, darling! You two broke up for a reason. Somewhere along the way something went wrong and it shattered. I know, I know, he changed and he promised he'll never do XYZ again. He's just so upset about what he did to you that he is disgusted with himself and he begs you to take him back. Of course, being the weak white woman that you are, you do. I kid, I know all of you aren't weak white women, but the minute your phone lights up with a text message from him, all reason goes out the window. You forget that he was a jerk that forgot your birthday, and that he lied to you and all the other crappy stuff. All that matters to you now is that he said that magic word: sorry. 

So you take him back, and its great. You two are sharing milkshakes at BRGR, having deep heart to hearts about both wanting a pet dog when you're like 25, and you're being that couple who holds hand and is making out while walking through the mall. Gag. But, it doesn't last long. You see he's been Snap Chatting that bitch. I know, right? The nerve of him. Like why would he want to see her making ugly faces when you're over here too beautiful to make ugly faces? I don't know either, but you're pissed. You can't believe that he'd do that after promising to change. And unfortunately, you can't see what they were sending each other at 2 am. What is soooooo important at 2 am that he felt the need to answer her?? I'd rather not know, to be honest. 

Now you're just down right mad. All sense of reason is out the window again and you're screaming at him. He screams back at you and through all the yelling its decided that the relationship is over. But is it really over for good? It should be. Yeah, you could go to Target and buy more super glue and try to put the pieces back together again. But you should also buy some gardening gloves. All those broken pieces have sharp edges, edges that will hurt you trying to pick them up. Instead, you wander through the aisles of Target and get a broom and a dust pan. And you make a pit stop at cosmetics and buy some new nail polish, because its essential. You come home and see that old mug, lying there on the floor of your kitchen. Its broken into smaller pieces now, the result of being broken a second time. Being the strong, woman that you are, you sweep all those broken pieces with the sharp edges into the dust pan. Getting stronger, you throw all those pieces into the trash.  

Sometimes, it's easier to throw away the pieces instead of hurting yourself trying to put it back together. While super glue is a miracle product, it doesn't make give things the strength it once had. You can't fix what isn't broken, but sometimes what's broken isn't worth it. Save yourself and your heart and leave the pieces where they are.