This is a column that I dread writing – moreover – it’s one I never thought I would write, or at least never hoped I would have to write. For this column marks an ending to something that has been a part of my life for the last year and a half. It publicly announces that a chapter in my life is closing – and it marks the end of something that I had hoped would never end – but did this Saturday. What I am referring to is my relationship with Sandy.

For a year and a half, Sandy and I shared our lives, our hearts – and most importantly – our love. We went from strangers to a couple who chose to share a home as we traveled down the path of life together. We decided to commit ourselves to each other and love each other unconditionally – and for a year and a half, we did. For a year and a half, our love was so well known and so close that our friends became friends with each other, our separate families became one big family – and our separate lives became one that we wanted to last for one long, happy life.

But over time, the happiness that we shared, the “warm and fuzzy” feeling that we had for each other, and the romance we experienced was replaced by a feeling of comfortability that a couple who has been together for decades would experience. The amount of “quality” time that we spent together began to diminish as our relationship progressed. Granted, this was due to both her and I taking on a tremendous amount of responsibility – but I also feel it was due to the fact that several issues between us caused us to lose interest in romance.

What I find the saddest is that usually this happens to a couple that experiences a traumatic event such as infidelity, physical abuse, or criminal activities – but none of that happened to us. It’s just that somehow, our perfect storybook romance and path down the road of life together took a wrong turn and as a result – we got lost.

Don’t get me wrong – I still love her. I just can not stay in a relationship that is a shell of what it used to be, because while my feelings are the same – the relationship is not – and instead of bringing me joy – it brings me sadness. It brings me sadness to know that something I thought would last forever has to end because after less then two years – it has already taken a wrong turn – and if there are problems that have diminished my happiness now – how will it be years from now?

So I decided that instead of continuing in a relationship that is not what it used to be and can never be what it used to be due to emotional walls, issues – and a difference in our views of the future – it was best to say goodbye.

I wish Sandy the best in life and thank her for the time that we shared together. I also want to apologize for the fact that our relationship did not last and hope that although we are no longer together – that she values the time we had together as much as I did – and always will.