Discovering Your Relationship Parting Gift (RPG) after a Break Up!

What's my Prize?

I grew up watching game shows; anything that involved spinning a wheel vertically, horizontally, slapping buzzers, or just spitting out answers--I watched, with great interest. And I was fascinated with the idea of--even the people who lost walked away with a consolation prize. Sure, it might be a months supply of Rice-A-Roni (The San Francisco treat) as opposed to a new car--but when you're growing up Gay, Mexican and Adopted--any little things counts because it was something you walked away with--a product you now have that you didn't a few moments ago.

If we apply the game show concept in dating/relationships, I believe we would walked around a little bit taller, a tad more cheerful and feeling a whole lot better about ourselves. As long as you knew what your Relationship Parting Gift was (RPG).

The RPGs:

• Instead of free box of rice you receive a box of "You're stronger & wiser now!"
• Forget the 2 day get-a-way at the ski resort, you just got a lifetime's supply of "Recognizing you deserve better!"
• And you really don't need a shiny new diamond bracelet, but you do need the sparkling knowledge of "You really can't fix someone."

Understand that  your RPG is something you get regardless if you want it or not--so shake your partners hand one last time, smile to the universe and walk out with your RPG and say thank you. I will say it again, when a relationship ends, we all receive an Relationship Parting Gift--the hard part is figuring out what it is.

Breaking Up SUX and this is hard!

Understanding what the RPGs are is not a simple task. It's not like the universe shows you what's behind door number two and unveils the idea of "I deserve a meaningful relationship with two-way communication" in a box. An announcer doesn't shout "Thank you for participating in this year's journey, Courtney, but you're not leaving empty handed--you're leaving us today with a 30-day supply of understanding of  "When you decided to be his mistress you also slapped a label on yourself which read: I'm #2."

And you know those people in the audience that think they're helping you: they're your life line or maybe they're screaming the answer they'd give if  they were standing in the spotlight of a failed relationship; well, those are your friends, your family, the Sex and the City episodes you're referencing in order to help you out when you just don't know the answer. Sometimes, with their help, the outcome is in your favor--but other times you hear the sound of the gong or the "wah-wah" music is cued announcing you just lost the final round.

You Get an RPG! And You Get and RPG! Everyone Gets an RPG!

But since society hasn't advanced to those levels yet, it's up to us to figure out what our RPGs are. And if you don't figure them out--you'll soon find yourself in another relationship going for the big prize but unfortunately will only qualify for  the RPG instead. Sound familiar?

Take time out from dating or relationshipping (to me relationship is a verb--an action verb) and discover what your last RPG was. Let the universe guide you to appreciate it a little more today than yesterday.

If your dating life or relationship was a game show--what would be its name? And what Relationship Parting Gifts can you recognize from your past?

Photo 1 by Kira auf der Heide on Unsplash

Photo2  by Jason Leung on Unsplash