Better to Have Loved and Lost

The saying we often hear through the tears of a post break up advice session is "It is better to have loved and lost than to never have loved at all." I have to say, I partially disagree. It is always better to love, but do we have to loose?
I strongly believe that at the end of a relationship, if you feel as though you have lost, you either don't have closure, or it wasn't love to begin with. When we end a relationship, whether it be with a friend or partner, we never loose the growing. We keep the experiences, the memories, the tears, and the laughs. When all is said and done (aka no secrets involved in the memories), the precious moments last forever in our pasts like marble statues of old kings. When we love and feel love in return, we never loose. We have won. We have achieved a miraculous (I know corny) connection with another human in which we feel safe, beautiful, and worthy. Through the fights and tears, we learned resolution. Much of what we gain from these connections is not the petty facts about his life, but the huge realizations we gain about ourselves. Love pushes morals and boundaries. It makes us uncomfortable and safe at the same time; it's one giant oxymoron.
Although falling and love and the prospect of someone having over 80 percent control over your emotions can be terrifying, I can truthfully say that it is worth it. Hopefully at the end, you can say that both people were changed for the better. And, painful as it is, when we see a past love with someone else we can take pride in the fact that we made them a better person so that they can love more fully, cherish more readily, and better bestow happiness on others.
So don't be afraid. Open that icy cold heart and let love melt away the snow. Let yourself love. Let yourself be loved.