You know the awkward feeling, the uncomfortable glances… when you and your partner run into his ex on the street. Usually the most you’ll see is a brief hello or a nod, and sometimes it’ll be downright hostile.

That’s crazy, isn’t it? Someone that was a major part of your life and was a source of great joy for you certainly deserves more than a nod or a dirty look, don’t you think?

Why are people so nasty with their exes?

The truly sad part is that we actually create these venomous situations ourselves.

People have such a hard time moving on from a relationship that’s no longer working out – accepting that it’s time to move on, that they actually look for reasons to hate their partner so they can break up… reasons to justify the break up to themselves.

By the time it’s all said and done, the relationship is so bad that everyone wants it to be over. And all this just to avoid being honest to ourselves and to one another and admitting that the fit may no longer be there, and it may be time to move on.

It’s really sad how we as a society handle exes. Why can’t we just grow up and get along? We should at the very least have as much respect for someone who was a key part of your life as one would for a stranger on the street.

So this is why months and years after the break up, when you and your partner run into his ex, there’s no love there, only resentment. It’s sad, but we do this to ourselves.

But what if you’re tired of this weird interaction with his ex, and would like to reach out to her?

What if you might even like to be friends with her? Is that really so much to ask? Is it really so unreasonable?

Sure, it’s not commonly done in our culture, but… after all, this woman was a major part of your boyfriend’s life for years. Surely she’s someone you should at least know. Is there anything really wrong with approaching her and asking?

The chances of you actually becoming friends are pretty slim, but it COULD happen.

What’s the best way to approach her?

Unless you happen to run into her a lot alone, i.e. NOT with your boyfriend, sending her an email is probably the way to go. A phone call is fine too, but in this case an email is probably better, since she doesn’t have to answer it if she’s not inclined to do so.

Don’t write a long, drawn-out email however, and don’t get on a long, involved phone call with her.  Truly emotional topics like this are best discussed…

Page: 1 2