Up until recently me and my ex had been together for almost a year. Not very long compared to a lot of the other relationships mentioned in this subreddit but these last months have been some of the best times of my entire life. I’ve never given myself to someone to this extent before and she tells me that I brought out a side of her she doesn’t really show people despite us only knowing each other for a little less than a year. She’s currently dealing with grief and a lot of other pressure and stress that she had been going through prior and it has led her to want space as she goes through it. She’s says she’s emotionally unavailable and all of the stress, fear, and anxiety has consumed her to the point where she’s not able to give me what i need, and that I deserve better. Being in a relationship right now and the expectations that come with it are just too draining for her. She also says she still loves me but not romantically and wants to continue to be best friends, but also said that maybe one day when things are better we can be together again. My pride and ego tell me to move on but I would wait an eternity for her and I still feel the exact same way I always have about her, even though it’s not reciprocated at the moment.
I’ve been reading about other people’s experiences with this and I rarely come across any where the relationship either continues through the grieving process or is rekindled after the period of giving the grieving partner space. If anyone has an experience like that I would love to hear from you, I’m trying to stay hopeful.
I also would love to hear the experiences of people who were in relationships while they were grieving and get some advice on ways your partner was able to support you through it, or what you wish they would’ve done. Also, how should go about giving space? Should I go no contact for a while? Or should I continue to check in with her from time to time and offer words of encouragement?