To the guy who dates her after me,
Pay attention to her, because I was too distracted by everything else. Listen to her, because my mind was always elsewhere when she spoke.
Spend time with her, because I was too busy to make time. Spoil her with occasional materialistic things, because I was too broke to afford it. Remember what she typically orders when she wants her drink, because that always slipped my mind. Make sure you know what her favorite color is, because I kept getting it wrong when she asked. Thrill her to make things fun, because I got lazy somewhere along the way. Let her know what your passwords are if she asks for them, because I felt too entitled to my privacy to share them with her.
Avoid interacting with certain girls she dislikes out of respect for her, because I was too selfish to cut them off. Try to understand where she's coming from when she gets upset, because I wasn't able to look past my own narrow mind. Comfort her when she's feeling down, because I kept making her feel worse about herself. Be there for her when she needs you to be, because I was too proud to show her how weak I was for her. Love her when she just needs to be held, because I was too caught up in winning the argument.
It's funny how granted you take someone after being with them for so long. It's even more funny how comfortable you get to think you don't have to make much of an effort to keep them. But as soon as you lose them, it all hits you. What they're worth. How you're supposed to treat them. What they deserve. How much you value them. What you were supposed to do and say. How you should have approached bad situations. Everything.
So, do everything that I couldn't. Or, do everything that I did, and more.
Sincerely,
The Ex-Boyfriend