I wore rose-colored glasses. He was a dream to me that I considered myself fortunate enough to have made a reality. He pushed my buttons, a necessary quality for me. He was smart and so unbelievably driven. Our families adored one another. At bottom, it was effortless. I really believe that we made each other better, at least for a short while. I could walk around without makeup, swear to my heart’s content and eat like a slob in front of him without being judged. He was my best friend and the love of my life. That is, until he wasn’t anymore.

Things change when you let someone go. The rose-colored glasses shatter. The halo around their head disappears. The sarcastic remarks they made are no longer wrapped in good intentions and now come across as just plain rude. The caring that you have for them remains, but the way in which they complement your ambitions shifts.

Well you see her when you fall asleep
But never to touch and never to keep
‘Cause you loved her too much
And you dived too deep

Sometimes you have to remove yourself from someone’s life long enough to see who he or she, and you, are without one another. In due time, true colors always reveal themselves. Of course, your impression of a person is based on personal perception often dictated by experiences over time.

Yet time removed can open your eyes and allow you to step aside from your former-honeymoon stage way of thinking. Shifting from a once seamlessly integrated component to a mere acquaintance shakes up the soul in an invigorating way, whether or not it is beneficial for your happiness is dictated by your ability to use the change as an opportunity rather than a road block.

Alternative perceptions of others can be brutal to witness and experience, but more often than not they are the driving force in finding the strength to not look back.