Dear Queenie,
There was this girl I was in love with when we were in high school. Eventually we broke up and then I went away to college and I haven’t heard anything from her since then, but our breakup still makes me sad and I have a problem when it comes to getting involved with any other girl because I still remember my first love after all these years.
Queenie, what is wrong with me?—Broken-hearted
Dear Broken-hearted,
You are having trouble letting go of the past and you are afraid of getting hurt again. This is not an unusual feeling, but it is necessary to outgrow it and give yourself a chance to develop new – hopefully more lasting – relationships. Yes, you may get hurt again, but as you become more mature you will learn to deal with the sorrow and open yourself up to the possibility of lasting happiness.
