Many people are afraid to go from friendship to relationship, they are scared that if the relationship doesn’t work they will lose a valued friend. Having a friend of the opposite sex who doesn’t judge and offers support is a treasure you shouldn’t take lightly. But relationships where two people start off as friends first has a foundation in place that you build on to create your own happily ever after.
Attraction Isn’t Enough
We have all been there or watched a friend go through it, where they meet someone new and everything is smoking hot until the honeymoon phase is over and then you realize that the two of you don’t have much in common or even much to talk about. Mutual attraction isn’t enough to sustain a relationship long term, how do you build a future with someone you share no interests with. Here is a look at what happens all too often when the honeymoon phase is over.
Built In Trust
When you are already good friend you have a built in level of trust that most couples take years to build. You have already shared embarrassing stories, met each other’s families and shared secrets. You have genuine affection for each other outside of romantic interest and you have already found your common ground. For couples that aren’t friends first it can take years to build up this level of friendship.
The Hard Part
The hardest part of connecting romantically with someone you have been friends with for years it getting up the courage to tell them. You can waste years wondering if they feel the same way about you or if they only think of you as a friend. There is more than just the normal fear of rejection involved, you don’t just worry about someone not liking you romantically but there is the very real possibility of losing a friendship or making things awkward between both of you.
Getting Together
If you find yourself attracted to someone that you have been friends with for a long time at some point you’re going to have to bite the bullet and tell them. Yes, it is risky but everything worth having is hard. Take the risk, most romances that start out between two people who have been friends work very well. There is nothing more worthwhile than having a long lasting, loving relationship with your best friend.