The Robin Effect

We all have that one lost love/ex-girlfriend/ex-boyfriend that we remained surprisingly close to or remained in constant communication with. We cherish our friendship with this person. We constantly marvel at how great friends we are with this person; but how bad we are at a romantic relationship. We have convinced ourselves that since we're not going to be anything more than friends we might as well we really good friends.

Win-win? Yes? No.

Unbeknownst to us, this person continues to affect us... and our relationships. Yes, granted that he/she does not do anything or, sometimes, is even actively participating in our grand quest for love but, deep inside, he/she hinders us from achieving happiness--the complete, true and sincere kind--we seek to share with another person. He/she is hindering us, whether he/she likes it or not.

I wish to call this The Robin Effect.

Robin's effect on Ted and Barney

And, sadly, at some point in our silly drama queen-like life we have to make the decision to end things with our own Robins. We have to undergo the painful process Ted did with Robin to enable ourselves to be more open, more positive to the idea of love, and of looking for it. We have to face the fact that no matter how painful (or, as I'd like to put it, how scarred) our lost love made us, love is out there. Happiness is out there. Waiting for us, waiting to be found...if only we have the courage to go on that quest with no one holding us back.