Let's Be Friends With an Added Benefit

Friendship

By far one of God's greatest inventions.
The beauty of friendship is that, unlike family, you get to choose these individuals to be apart of your life.
It is your decision to allow them to share in your joy, hopes, and sorrow.
As I grow older I am beginning to understand and appreciate the true friends that I have in my life.
More recently I have begun to encounter friendships with those of the male persuasion.
And I'll admit they hit me like a ton of bricks.
Like a lighting they burst into my life without the slightest crack of thunder.
Friendships of this particular variety must be handled delicately, because they could combust without a moments notice.
With all of the power they pack, its no wonder that they can be some of the most rewarding experiences.
When you find a man that is worthy to be called "friend", its an occasion to be celebrated.
One thing I've learned is that close intimate friendships with members of the opposite sex are needed. They teach you things that you wouldn't have otherwise learned from girlfriends, or  books, or magazines. It takes a special kind of man to be a true friend, and to not take advantage of the delicacy that can sometimes be found in women. To not make a move on her when its just the two of you, alone, sharing emotional intimacy.

But what happens when you get to a point where you get so close that you feel the only logical next step is to enter into a completely committed relationship, and you find that one person isn't ready for that?
Do you write them off as last weeks hot topic, and get on to the next one? If that happens I would question whether you were truly friends to begin with.

It's even more special when you realize that he is not going to be around just for the moment, you know while he's single, but as soon as another women comes along he's gone just as quickly as he'd come.
I have encountered these guys all too often. These are the one's that aren't content with just your friendship.
They want more, without ever really giving your friendship time to blossom into what could potentially be a great relationship. To those men I say that if you can't handle my friendship why would I want to be in a committed relationship with you? Isn't the title called "girlFriend"?


And then I snap back into reality and remember a time when I was that girl that wasn't content with just being friends. I always wanted to rush into a relationship. She and I were one of a kind until I recently took the time to get my priorities straight. Or could it be that I know, no guy wants to be in a relationship with someone who's going away for 9 months. I have been able to understand that some friendships should remain just that. To take them further could be detrimental to both parties, and might extinguish the fire that burns between the two souls. Either way I'm settled on appreciating the benefits of a truly platonic friendship.