“One makes mistakes; that is life. But it is never a mistake to have loved.” Romain Rolland, 20th century French novelist.
The romantic disasters of my youth? One I distinctly remember was this ever so beautiful girl in high school who lied beyond my ability to comprehend. Her “cheating heart” taught me a lot about how painful love could be.
My college girlfriend was spontaneous, funny and just delightful. Ultimately she dragged me though the mud of several years of ups and downs.
On the other hand, those loves were important to maturing my soul. They laid the ground work for deeply loving my spouse, thank God, of many years.
Pilgrim on a Long, Long Journey 