u/TonePractical9620

So, I was supposed to meet someone tonight. I can sense he’s too good to be true but I decided to still give it a shot and its not like the first time I met someone from reddit, so I know the risks. He was supposed to go to me, but I insisted na I’d visit him in his work and wait until his hospital shift is over. I defined boundaries na agad na I’m not into casual dating and I’m not comfortable and won’t go to his place. After my work, I went to the gym and slept muna. I woke up only to find out na he blocked me na. Thank God talaga I haven’t prep pa or wasn’t on my way already.

Be careful out there girls and be firm with your boundaries especially with guys coming from reddit. Require a CENOMAR. Lol It helps filter out married douchebags.

this experience might not be a good one but it still won’t stop me from putting myself out there and hopefully find someone who’s worth it. :)

I’ve been dating around for the past two years, but at some point, I had to be honest with myself and admit that I never truly developed genuine feelings for most of the people I entertained. What I was really attached to was the validation, the attention, and the temporary comfort of feeling wanted. It filled certain emotional voids, but it was never the kind of connection that could truly last.

It’s been a month since I stopped talking to or dating anyone. I deactivated all my social media accounts and decided to redirect my energy toward myself instead. I’ve been keeping myself busy with work, going to the gym, and trying to improve not just physically, but mentally and spiritually as well. For the first time in a while, I’m learning how to sit with my own thoughts instead of constantly distracting myself from them.

There are days when it feels lonely and quiet. Sometimes I miss the feeling of being cared for, having someone check up on me, or simply sharing parts of my day with another person. But I’ve realized that loneliness is still better than entering a relationship while carrying unresolved wounds and emotional baggage that could eventually hurt someone else.

I want the next person I love to experience a healthier version of me—someone capable of loving sincerely, peacefully, and without projecting past pain onto them. It isn’t their responsibility to fix wounds they didn’t create, and I don’t want my unresolved traumas to become someone else’s burden to carry.

Healing is uncomfortable, but I think it’s necessary if I truly want the kind of love that lasts.

I think I caught a glimpse of you at the coffee shop today. I knew it was your voice the moment I heard it—the way you speak, especially when you talk about architectural design, is something that stays with me longer than it should.

There’s a kind of quiet fire in you when you explain things you are passionate about, something I will never be able to forget.

It was loud enough to reach me, to cut through everything else, but I still chose silence. I chose not to look up. I chose to act like I didn’t know.

Maybe it was easier that way. After everything, I feel like I had no right to acknowledge you anymore. So I kept pretending I didn’t recognize you. Even when I noticed you looking at me. I chose to look away. To me, you were just another stranger at the coffee shop passing through.

I hope you’re genuinely doing okay. I miss you more than I’d like to admit, but part of me feels like I shouldn’t anymore. Take care, always.

-L.

Earlier in January, I met someone on Reddit. We dated for about three months, and he really came on strong; weekend dates, flowers, thoughtful gifts, and always making sure I had whatever I was craving. We were both busy with work, so we didn’t talk every day, but we spent most weekends together. We had great conversations, and the chemistry was there, but deep down, I had a feeling it wouldn’t last, and it didn’t.

After that, I met someone else, also from Reddit. He reached out after seeing my post about going on a solo beach drive, and from then on, we talked constantly. Even when he was exhausted from work, he’d still make time to call me at night or whenever he could. I’m usually not a fan of phone calls, but with him, conversations just flowed. Anything from serious topics to complete nonsense. He was expressive and emotionally aware, often putting into words the thoughts I struggled to articulate. He remembered the little details about me and helped me see parts of myself I hadn’t fully understood.

I used to think my love language was physical touch and acts of service, but with him, I realized it was really about being seen for who I truly am. I didn’t know how much I needed to hear why I mattered, especially since I tend to overthink. He never left things unsaid, he expressed his feelings openly, even if it felt a little cheesy, and made sure I always knew how he felt about me. His reassurance wasn’t implied; it was spoken.

We don’t talk anymore (because I'm stupid. I messed up something that was genuinely good) but he left me with something I never knew I wanted in a relationship: actions aren’t always enough; it matters to hear that you’re valued, that your presence brings comfort and joy. To be assured, without begging for it. I still revisit our old conversations sometimes, especially when I’m studying— it's like we have our own podcast, haha. There’s a quiet comfort in it, knowing that, at one point, someone truly saw me for who I am—beyond how I look and the “independent girl” front I put up. He left a deeper mark on me than anyone I’ve dated before.