I dumped my boyfriend as he took too long to propose – I thought I’d feel empowered but I’m devastated & people are torn
A HEARTBROKEN woman has divided opinions after sharing the pain of breaking up with her boyfriend of seven years.
The 29-year-old spoke candidly about having hoped to marry her ex-boyfriend, 31.
The newly single woman took to Reddit’s Relationship Advice forum to vent about her love life.
“I was in a relationship for seven years and not got the ring,” she wrote.
“My boyfriend’s brother proposed to his girlfriend of two years this weekend and I was broken. I ended my relationship right then.
“I thought I would feel empowered but instead I feel devastated and defeated.
“I couldn’t see myself being around the family and knowing that I still didn’t get my own happy ending after SEVEN YEARS.
“Has anyone else been in a similar situation? How did you get through it? Does my decision make sense to anyone else?”
A flood of responses to the thread shared their own experiences of ending long-term relationships as they debated on whether or not she had made the right decision.
“I ended an eight-year relationship when my best friend told me she was pregnant,” one person wrote.
“It finally clicked that he was never going to truly commit to me the way I wanted and needed him to.
“I was very sad for a long time before I started feeling better about the decision.
“In rhetorical time we were together, I saw friends meet, start dating, get engaged, get married, and have kids.
“All the while I was still just a girlfriend. The breakup sucked, but things did get better and I have an amazing husband and kids now.”
Another woman confessed that she felt inspired by the post as she’d been considering ending her relationship.
“Your decision makes perfect sense to me,” she said. “I think you did the right thing for you.
“Live your life.
“Also just know you are an inspiration of confidence and guts to do what is right for you.
“I am 37 and considering the same thing (four years) and frankly terrified.”
A third woman reassured the woman that her heartache would be temporary as she shared her own experience.
“Bottom line. You want different things,” she said.
“Neither one of you is wrong. Will your life get better? No promises, but right now it‘s death by a thousand cuts.
“I dated a guy like this before my husband, he flat out said marriage is just a piece of paper.
“You know what else is just a piece of paper? My three kiddos birth certificates.
“Yes, I let go of Mr. No comment and have been married to my HUSBAND for 38 years and going strong.”
Many commenters said no one should stay in a relationship longer than three years without commitment.
However, one woman disagreed with pushing to get married within a set time frame.
“I’m around the same age, been with my partner for eight years and we are not engaged,” she said.
“We are committed to each other and know we want to spend the rest of our lives together.
“We are comfortable where we are, and we are (obviously) in no rush.
“When/If we get engaged and married is up to us, but we’re open about the subject with each other and make sure we’re both still on the same page.
“If you had clearly communicated that marriage was your goal and he clearly communicated that marriage isn’t for him then you did the right thing.
“There are just some things that you both have to be on the same page for, no matter how much love you have for each other.”