He got cold feet and ended it

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Hi Meredith,

I met a guy during the pandemic and we've been dating for the past year now. When we first got together, we spent a lot of time with each other. He has a busy work schedule, so he would always make time after work to come and see me, or keep days off for us to spend together. A few months later, I realized he was spending less time with me. He could go more than two weeks without seeing me. I don't know if he got too comfortable after chasing me for so long, or if he just wasn't interested anymore. I wasn't used to this, as I've always been the center of someone's world and so this was all new to me.

I discussed it with him, without biting his head off, and he said he'd try to make it work. He recognized that it was unfair to me and our relationship. I also found that he was very emotionally unavailable. It took him forever to tell me he loved me. I had the feeling but I was scared to tell him, but eventually I did because I felt so strongly for him. I did it over text as I didn't have the courage to say it face to face, just incase he didn't feel the same. Thankfully he did.

Fast forward and he had a lot of pressure from his family about marriage. We come from traditional Asian households, so things work a little differently. He ended up breaking up with me in December, and then we'd break up and get back together every two months. The thing that tops it the most is that he told me he wanted to get married to me, so I told my family. He told me he'd have his mum call to have the initial discussions with my mum, but that didn't happen. When I addressed him about it two weeks later, he said he "forgot." It seems like he got cold feet. He just said he couldn't make me happy and that he can't see us working out. I feel a bit disheartened because I really tried to make this relationship work, but truthfully it seems like I was the only one who wanted that.

How do I move on from this? I feel like my confidence is gone and I can't stand the thought of dating again.

– Lost woman

"I feel like my confidence is gone and I can't stand the thought of dating again."

You don't have to start dating again right this second. You're exhausted after the ups and downs of this relationship and you need time to heal and rest. Please do that.

Also know that this was not wasted time. The experience taught you a lot about what you don't want. And ... who else would you have been meeting in a pandemic? You spent this complicated year figuring out that you can love someone even if you dislike the way they treat you. It's better to love the whole package – to be able to say that you love the person and the relationship.

Your confidence should come back over time. Remember, this man wanted to be with you – he was into this – but he wasn't ready for forever and had other priorities. Honestly, what happened was all about him, not about your shortcomings.

One more thought: the right partner might need more time before they make you the center of their universe, especially in a world that isn't locked down because of a pandemic. A good relationship can be a slower burn. A good relationship probably doesn't involve too much chasing.

That doesn't mean the person should feel breezy about not seeing you for weeks at a time, of course. It's more about balance and growth.

– Meredith

Readers? How should this LW get over an almost-everything relationship? What was learned here?