False Friends

I always hear stories of couples who emerge from what was once strictly a friendship. At some point, they realize that they want something more, but this leaves me to wonder:  Can feelings of trust and love on a platonic level be confused with those associated with romance? Can friends turned lovers somehow misinterpret their connection and fall into an intimate relationship that was never meant to be?

Guys and girls rarely seem to be able to be "just friends." I'm not saying that they necessarily always end up dating, but I believe that at one point or another, on the part of one or both people, there is that nagging feeling of "What if?" This could be the result of men and women's innate sense of finding a mate in the opposite sex, but I believe that there is another reason for the urge to "test the waters."

To put it simply: When men and women develop a strong connection with each other, spend time together, trust each other, and love each other (all on a friendly level), it makes love in the romantic sense seem all the more feasible.

Maybe we are looking for the easy way out by finding a mate in a best friend and skipping all of the heartache in between. Sometimes these types of relationships do work out and are capable of the transition to that next level.  But what about those who are fooled by a friendship, those who believe their feelings can so easily jump from one level of intimacy to another with no romantic basis? These people end up destroying a great friendship, or worse, manifesting their friendship as a relationship and substituting companionship for romance. They never have the opportunity to experience true love, just comfort and security with a best friend.

The next time you wonder if your best friend is boyfriend or girlfriend material, think about this: Are you searching for convenience, or do you really feel a deeper love for them that a friend could never provide? Before you take the leap from bff to bf, think about what you really want, and more importantly, what you deserve.

Plain and simple: If you feel no spark, no attraction and no butterflies, your "relationship" could be a false friendship.