about 3 weeks ago, my girlfriend of almost 4 years told me "i just cant be in a romantic relationship with anyone right now" "we were so young when we started dating" "i need to be single to be healthy right now" "i dont want to wait 5 years and realize this isnt what i wanted"

to be honest, it felt like the whole world had ended, it felt like id been killed.  We were happy, stable, we loved each other, we were best friends and she woke up one day and decided it was time for her to start this transitional journey in her life and i wasnt in the picture.  Now because of this, ive been thrown head first into my own journey.  The last 3 weeks have been the worst of my life, i have spent days too afraid to be alone, sobbing and panicking, asking for comfort and support from everyone i know.  I have been suicidal almost every day this week.  I was happy with her, i had decided that this was "It", we talked bout marriage, we acted like there was no reason we'd ever seperate.  And she woke up and realized that i wasnt right. That even if we loved each other, we werent meant to go down the same path.

 This morning it hit me that she was right, that it was mutual, and no matter how bittersweet and sickeningly heartbreaking this is that maybe fate decided it had to happen.  But now what, im left 22 years old on this path that had layed out in front of me and everything is in chaos.  I dont know what i want anymore, all i knew was that i loved her and cared about her.  That even if it wasnt "fate" or truely right to be together i would make it work.  Now at only 22 i have to face this revelation; love isnt enough, change is constant, this huge all emcompassing chapter of your life is over.  

It felt freeing in a way, even though incredibily painful, to understand that it was the right thing for us end things this morning.  Now, i dont know how i feel, i wanted so badly to hang on to that feeling and it fell through my fingers like water. 

I needed to share, with more than just the people in my life who im beginning to burden what im going through.

And i want so badly to know that there are other people who have faced this.

Is there anyone out there who has been in a relationship in which you still loved each other, but had to let go.  Not because you fought or because you were bored of eachother but because the overwhelming truth of your situation told you that you werent on the same path in life, you werent going to be any time soon, and it was time to move on.