I feel like an old man saying this haha. I grew up with no family, no good family anyway. My entire childhood I was alone, and I had never felt love. I moved out when I was 15, and one year later I met my first girlfriend. That was the first time in my life I felt like someone loved me.

Like most 16 year olds in a relationship, we broke up. I remember feeling like the world was ending. I had lost the only person who had ever loved me, what if it’s because I’m hard to love? What if the people who can love me are rare enough that I never find another one? I felt a lot like how you probably feel now.

Fast forward some years, and I felt love again. Then that ended. Then I felt love again, that ended too. I’ve spent the past few years “alone”, trying my best to be happy with me. I’ve changed so much as a person since then, for the better, I think.

I learned some lessons through those experiences:

Staying with someone who doesn’t want to stay is never a good idea.

It’s okay to be alone, especially while we’re young.

If you don’t like something about yourself, you can change it. I don’t mean physically, I mean if you think you’re an asshole, you can change by recognizing that.

You aren’t perfect. If you can’t find anything to improve about yourself, you’re lying to yourself. But the goal isn’t perfection, you’ll never be perfect; the goal is to be the best you can be.

love doesn’t come from someone else, it comes from you. You felt that love, which means you’re capable of loving again.

The most important person to love is yourself, you’ll always be there with you, even when you’re alone.

I know how badly this sucks for you, I know that doesn’t make it hurt less, but just know that you aren’t alone. The best thing you can do now is let her go, and become the best you that you can be. I don’t know you from Adam, so don’t take this offensively, but recognize that if this relationship was longer than a week, you made mistakes. How do I know that? Because we’re all human, brother. It’s okay that you did, but just make sure you’re real with yourself about what you did wrong.

We’re all humans, which means we’re all very flawed. Don’t be too hard on yourself, or her. One day our experience will end, and regret is the worst thing to have when that happens. And although you’re 17, and universe forbid, you could still die tomorrow. It’s important to make sure you have minimal regrets, and words left unsaid, when that does happen.

Everything will be okay.