Which Time was Harder for Edward?

[Tamlynn]

Which time do you think was harder for Edward to deal with...
The time that he left Bella in New Moon, or watching Bella suffer from Renesmee?

I personally think it was watching Bella suffer from Renesmee, just because Edward was able to see Bella and touch her, but couldn't do anything to help her.

Just seeing Bella suffer was enough to make Edward go crazy, that is why I think that this event was harder for him.

As in New Moon, he wasn't able to see how hard of a time that Bella had, which made it easier for him to stay away. As if he were to come back, I think that we would have a difficult time leaving again after seeing her.

[Khadija]

definitley the part when bella was suffering from Renesmee. in New Moon, if he's known what had happened to bella, he would've came back. a solution was really simple and easy. but in Breaking Dawn, she was suffering emotionally AND physically in front of him and he couldn't do anything about it. even when he tried to solve the whole thing by getting her an abortion, she refused to have it.

[Immortal]

I would agree with this because of how overly concerned he always was that she would ever get hurt, even falling down. So seeing it daily and having his hands tied to do anything SHOULD have been worse. However, he confesses that he laid down and stopped living, breathing, thinking... for days or weeks at a time, when he was without her. Even though it was for her own good, it seems he personally suffered worse without her there at all. His life, his ability to live life seemed to depend more on having her near in any condition than being without her at all. I think he was better able to exist as long as her heart was beating nearby where he could reach her any time he needed to. His demeanor was black, hard and cold while she was suffering, but he was without emotion, numb, non-existant while alone. He did at least continue to talk with others and think, plan, stay concerned and focused while she was hurting in BD. I also think he still had one thing to live for throughout her suffering in BD - one last thing to give her - "whatever she wanted at any cost" - that was always his weakness. How amazing is that? His ulitimate sacrifice was to suffer beside her rather than let her down. *sigh*

[Tamlynn]

Rebourne, you make a good point. This is why I make this discussion. I personaly don't know which was harder for Edward. I can only make my best guess. I just wanted to know what more people were thinking about this topic because it has me going around in circles.