Originally Posted by Gadgetech

After my first wife...I quit women all together, not because there aren't good ones but because I wasn't willing to carry the emotional load that goes with relationships while trying to find the right one. It wasn't long after that when I became friends with my now wife. We were friends over a year and a half before the topic of dating came up and when it did I was pretty clear about what I could offer and what I expected out of a relationship. We dated yet another year + and then got engaged and eventually married.

Honestly I wouldn't have done this good on my own if I was looking. I think a strong friendship is a precursor to a successful relationship and the best relationships happen when you aren't looking. Sounds cliché but it worked for me.

My MIL and FIL were high school sweethearts that have over 50 years of marriage, not sure there's many like that any longer.

Unfortunately there's no shortcut to getting over these things but in time you will, no doubt. Go shoot some stuff...destruction of stuff, even if it's just a zombie target, always makes me feel better.