DS1 dumped after two years and devastated :(

[MedusaIsHavingaBadHairday]

I hate this. he's 21 so not a teen any more, but he is my baby and seeing him come home tonight, sobbing in my arms, breaks my heart.
He has invested the last two years of his life in his gf.. driving 200 miles every weekend to be with her. Meanwhile she has fleeced him financially and treated him not very well.

On the one hand at least, thank god she has broken it off now.. she will graduate from Uni in a year and he was planning to move up north and find a new job there to live with her (she was a flat mate of DD2, who warned me a long time ago that she would break his heart and has long since distanced herself from GF :( )

He was totally devoted and as a result is going to have a huge hole in his lifr for a while. Worse, his best mate here has just left for University so he hasn't really much going on at home. I know he will recover, but also he thought she was 'the one'

I just wish I could make it better for him :(

Your poor son. It's horrible the first time you get your heart broken, especially if he thought she was the one. It wont be any consolation to your son now, but it does sound much better that it's happened now rather than when he had moved up north.
You will just have to give him some tlc for the next few weeks and maybe encourage him to get out and about it bit, which I appreciate might be difficult with his best mate moving away. Any chance he could visit his mate one weekend.

Oh dear, it is so hard isn't it? My DD at 17 was dumped right out of the blue by a long-term bf and it really knocked her sideways. As you say, when they are very serious, it leaves a huge hole in their lives. The worst past for me was DD crying to me saying over and over again that she had lost her best friend. It was awful.

All you can do is listen to him, as talking about it helps him come to terms with it. Try not to bad-mouth the gf, tempting though it is, especially if you feel she didn't treat him so well. The only thing you can do is just be there for him, and try and encourage him to keep busy, easier said than done I know.

For me, this is one of the worst things as a parent, when you can't just 'fix' it and make it all better. It is so painful to watch them suffer when you can't help them.

Oh it hurts to see your DS hurt doesn't it? I don't think there is any point saying out loud what you believe (that she was a bad choice) and you should not criticise her heaven forbid they get back together.
Nothing very constructive to add, if only you could still kiss it better....

Yep, just when you thought all the angsty bits of parenting were over.

DS1 has a very intense on off relationship, that ultimately will go nowhere, (for religious reasons she's eventually going to have to choose between him and her family)

It is horrible picking up the pieces.

Picking up the pieces here too - such a horrible helpless feeling
Lots of hugs and trying to keep him busy is all I can offer