One of the hardest things in the wold is to watch your kids hurt.  I thought it was hard when they were young, but as they get older, I find it more difficult.  I recall my own past hurts, my own bad decisions, my own shortcomings by watching them learn the landscape of life. 

For example, when you believe something, one event - piece of clothing-one object, will change everything and make it all okay.  How is it at 16 we can get so fixated on that one thing? How is it we miss the ocean because of one drop of water out of place?  Of course, talking it though is a futile effort and amounts to full frustration on both sides.  And if you know me, you know keeping my mouth shut kills me inside and out.

Next example, the first breakup.   As I write this "Slit Skirts" plays in the background.  Perfect!  How do you explain this shit to a 19 year old?   The complexity of relationships, how can you teach that?  I know being married 3 times, I am not the one for relationship advise -- except maybe what not to do.  Like don't settle.  Don't stay with someone because it is easier than breaking up. Being that I have now been married for 10 year, I guess I can say fall in love and then work at it!

Don't worry about who got the friends. You will find you will end up with just as many if not more in the end. And most of the time, the girl gets the friends, if they happen to be single horny guys -- so you just need to deal with what that means and take it as it is.

What I can give advise on is how to be alone. Do stuff!  Don't worry if you are by yourself, just do what you want to do and do some stuff you are not sure you really want to do!  You'll have great stories to tell later on.    Mostly, do things by yourself and enjoy your own company and the feeling of something new and uncomfortable.  This is the closest you will get to the magic of sex for the first time with someone.  Think of it-- doing something that you want to do, but you are a little afraid, you don't have a wing man, it's like sex for the first time with a new partner ---except you don't have to worry about getting anyone pregnant.  You still have all the other hang-ups, inadequacy, uncomfortableness, saying the wrong thing -- but what a rush, right?   YOU DID IT!  You made it though this activity on your own.   And chances are after it is over you will find you did pretty well and you had fun and you can brag about it later.   I look back and I had great times with my friends, but the things I had to do or chose to do on my own, those really kicked butt.