Hi Cinders I think not becoming bitter is a constant battle, as we try to harden our heart against the pain bitterness seems to result, but eventually it will pass if we make a constnt effort to avoid it.
Hearing friends say "he is not coming back " is different from us saying it, even if it's only to ourselves, because they say it with certainty,we say it with a small part hoping it's not true. Your right no one knows for sure but for me as the time went by and x appeared just as happy and no hint that he had made a mistake I had to take a realistic -odds on bet that yes it was true he really wasn't coming back. Pity I didn't put money on it cos 8 years on I would have made some money. I guess I could still say it's possible if I wanted/needed to keep a glimmer of hope alive but for me to heal it had to be a certainty in my head and my heart otherwise I could not have truly moved on. It would have been pretence, a sham hey look at me I have got a life type thing.
You must make your own choices with head and heart when you are ready , maybe you are not quite ready to do that. Your good interactions have given you enough hope to continue a while longer. One day when /if the bad interactions outweigh the good you may feel differently. The forth coming holidays play havoc with our emotions and mind games result. You are stronger than you think I am sure. ((()))
