1. She remembers her past as a reminder to not make the same mistakes twice.

Her heart has more cracks and scars than she would like it to, and while the scars serve as constant reminders of heartbreak, they also serve as constant reminders of what went wrong and why. While she can’t control whether or not her heart will be broken again, she can control the mistakes she was responsible for, and she can control her ability to never make those same mistakes twice. Girls who have been heartbroken won’t love you the same way they loved before, because although they’ve experienced love that didn’t last, they still want to find a love that will.

2. She appreciates what she has when she has it.

When she experiences love again, she’s well aware that it can be taken away at any moment, but she appreciates it for what it is every single day. She cherishes the moments you make her feel loved because she knows how it feels when those moments stop.

3. She takes a while to open up emotionally, but when she does, you know it’s real.

You might be on the surface with a girl who’s been heartbroken for quite some time, and when you try to delve deeper she knows exactly what you’re doing. She’s apprehensive to trust you with her feelings but when she does, you’ll love her even more. Her broken heart hasn’t made her numb, it’s made her careful. She still feels love, she just needs time to express it, so be patient.

4. She’s scared you’re going to leave.

It’s not surprising that the girl whose heart has been broken worries it will happen again, but the right person will make her feel a happiness that overcomes her fear of loving and being left. It’s only a matter of time before she meets the person who makes love a little less scary.

5. She’s not afraid to leave if she’s unhappy.

She’s familiar with unhappiness, and it’s not a feeling she finds favorable, especially in relationships. Her fear of being left is as strong as her capability to leave when she wants to. Her broken heart has helped her realize the love that she deserves, and she’s not afraid to leave the wrong person to find it.

6. She knows herself pretty well.

Her broken heart has allowed her to look at her life when she feels like it’s falling apart, and it has also allowed her to recognize what she needs to do to rebuild it. She knows what makes her happy, and what makes her want to crawl into a corner and cry, she knows what she needs to feel a little more like herself.

7. She’s able to survive on her own, so if you’re in her life, she wants you there.

Chances are she’s not the only one to blame for her broken heart, but in the after math the only option she had was to be alone, and while she may seek temporary companionship with everyone who’s wrong for her, she knows that being alone doesn’t have to be lonely. Loneliness is something she’s learned to not be afraid of, and she’s perfectly capable of living life without the comfort of companionship.

8. She will make sure you feel loved.

She knows how it feels to receive a love that’s less than she deserves, so she will do everything she can to make sure you never have to feel that way. A broken heart doesn’t mean she’s incapable of love, it means she wants to give her heart to someone who will take care of it. She has plenty of love to give, she just hasn’t found the person who will receive it, and give the same amount back.