[Espy]

So. I'm not the best at comforting, but...

Most (if not all) of my 23/24 year old friends don't have kids, so I don't think it's a big problem that you don't have children right now. I know you're envious, but I personally see nothing wrong with waiting a couple more years. Test out the waters a bit; there are plenty more fish in the sea.

If he's doing you more bad than good, he's not worth it. It's you he's hurting, not himself, and while you're having heartaches, he may not even give a shit. You need to move on. Your whole life consists of more than simply him and having children.

It sounds more like you're battling your past, rather than your life. You're, what...24? Make friends with life; you've still got a lot to enjoy, outside your "past".

...-sigh- I'm not sure if what I'm saying is making any sense -- I'm five years younger than you, but I have a few friends who fallen out of more relationships than they can count on their fingers, and they're still in college. IMO, don't worry that you're still single -- eventually, someone somewhere will find something beautiful in you. But if you keep dwelling on the past, you won't be able to make yourself stand out.

Life isn't something you need to conquer; it's something you have to embrace. It tosses different things at different people (for me, that'd be one murder, one suicide, and two suicide threats over the course of two years), and the people who can still enjoy life by not letting these challenges completely occupy their lives are the ones who really are strong.

I mean, that's a cheesy way of putting it.

What I really mean to say is, Even though it's hard, you need to acknowledge these things as a fact of life, move on (different than forgetting about it), and do your best to keep a bright outlook.