Search Results: best way to break-up

My ex and I are both 17. I moved away from my hometown (and him) in April. We tried long distance for a few months, but things started to get tough as he's awful with his phone and LDRs demand a lot of phone contact. We never fought the entire relationship, we would just voice our concerns and work them out accordingly. He was always wonderful like that.

One morning, after telling me he loved me, he broke up with me. It crushed me far more than I ever thought possible. He told me he was sorry, and that he hoped we could stay friends. I disregarded the offer as in genuine and guilt-driven at the time. We didn't speak for 4 months. It was the most difficult time of my life. I was crying every night, I can't even describe how painful it was (I'm a depression sufferer, and I've still never felt pain like that). I pushed myself to get out, to be with friends, etc-I really improved my life, but at the end of the day, I was still miserable without him.

I finally reached out after all that time, and we spoke about the breakup. What I didn't know is how much it hurt him, and that it was the reason he couldn't bear to talk to me because it was a reminder of "what he let go". He told me that he did not want to do it, but it's what was best at the time because other aspects of his life were suffering because he was so stressed by trying to maintain the relationship. At the time of the breakup I had no idea he felt like that. I really respect his decision after talking it through with him, I'm glad he did what was best for him (and for me at the time, even though I probably didn't realize it).

Now, we talk almost every day. He's big on the push-pull behavior- he'll text me all the time for weeks, and then disappear a bit. We talk on the phone and video chat for hours. He told me he's really glad that we can be friends and that I mean a lot to him, and that he loves me (but not in a romantic way).

The only problem is that part of me still loves him. I told him this, and he was very non-judgmental and told me that although he'd be very sad, he understands if us talking is not what's best for me. Is this a bad idea? Am I making things worse for myself by doing this?

My husband took our whole family including his mother, aunt, aunts boyfriend, our 4 daughters and our adult daughters boyfriend on a Christmas cabin vacation. During a board game our 14 year old daughter became frustrated, stormed off yelling and back talking. My husband and I were stunned and embarrassed. My mother in law and husbands aunt went to the kitchen and my husbands mom very loudly was saying "My kids never acted this way...", I went down to correct my daughter and my husband came in angry, stopped me and told me to go upstairs. The aunt was telling the MIL to shut up, blah, blah. I began to cry and left the room. My husband came up and began a tirade that included saying we all are spoiled bitches, all women are bitches and cunts. Every woman in the world can't get along. Men are better than women... All while our daughters ages 9, 10, 15 and 23 were in earshot. The 23 year old was bawling and took the kids out. She later said the youngest of the family said if Dad hates women will he hate us too when we are older. He was out of control and had been drinking all day. He said he would never ever feel the same about me, his mom and aunt again. He makes the money so he tells us what to do. He proceeds to say the children come first, his wife, mom and everyone else is second. He threatened to take the kids Christmas Day and leave. He gets up The next day and we are all expected to act as if nothing happened. I have lost respect and love and don't think I can live this way anymore. He is very controlling and because he is the breadwinner expects us to not voice or express dissatisfaction of any kind. I have a chronic illness that there is no cure for and I can't live up to his expectations and feel I'd be better off divorced and sharing custody of the kids. By the way, in front of others and the public he is thought of as the best guy on the planet and I'm told every day how lucky I am to have him. I will be the bad guy in the breakup publicly. So torn and so