Keeping friends and family at a perfect balance is definitely among the most difficult aspects of human relationships. Most of us don't succeed in pleasing the two parties at once. We often find ourselves in situations where we need to choose one over the other, which is not exactly the easiest thing to do when both are of equal importance, or almost. How would you choose?
Friends versus Family: When Friendship Interferes
By Kat Ballew
Families are the most important thing in a person's life, but friendship is also important. Some even consider friends as part of the family, and sometimes there are certain things we can discus with our friends that we cannot talk about with family. However, family members may not understand this, and it becomes a situation when friendship may interfere with family.
There are also instances when our family may not like our friends, therefore not wanting us to associate with them. They may think they are a bad influence, or it may even be that they do not like our friend's family, or approve of their lifestyle. For whatever reasons, it makes it hard to feel as though you cannot have the best of both worlds, family and friends, and share the two. On the other hand, most of the time families know best, and they may be right when they feel as though our friends are a bad influence. Listening to why they feel this way and evaluating this friendship may behoove you in seeing that your family was right after all.
Sometimes a person becomes dependent on friends and is constantly with them, for example shopping, vacationing, and even choosing to spend holidays with them instead of with family. This can make family members jealous or feel left out, rejected or may be the reason they do not like our friends, simply because of the way we have chosen our friends over them. It could be that it has nothing to do with our friends at all, but with the way we are making these choices over them.
While there are some things we can share with friends that we cannot with family, there are also times when only families need to be involved or called upon for advice. As a rule, family should always come first, but on the other hand learning to balance both family and friends is important. When friendship interferes with family, it makes us feel as though we have to be careful around both in order to keep peace. To have complete harmony between the two makes for a perfect situation, especially when our family welcomes our friends and considers them as part of the union as well.
The love of family and friends is a treasure. Being close to our families is very important, and having a true friend is a rarity as well. It takes a special friend to know when to let families have their time and when to step in and be a friend, without interference.
There are also instances when our family may not like our friends, therefore not wanting us to associate with them. They may think they are a bad influence, or it may even be that they do not like our friend's family, or approve of their lifestyle. For whatever reasons, it makes it hard to feel as though you cannot have the best of both worlds, family and friends, and share the two. On the other hand, most of the time families know best, and they may be right when they feel as though our friends are a bad influence. Listening to why they feel this way and evaluating this friendship may behoove you in seeing that your family was right after all.
Sometimes a person becomes dependent on friends and is constantly with them, for example shopping, vacationing, and even choosing to spend holidays with them instead of with family. This can make family members jealous or feel left out, rejected or may be the reason they do not like our friends, simply because of the way we have chosen our friends over them. It could be that it has nothing to do with our friends at all, but with the way we are making these choices over them.
While there are some things we can share with friends that we cannot with family, there are also times when only families need to be involved or called upon for advice. As a rule, family should always come first, but on the other hand learning to balance both family and friends is important. When friendship interferes with family, it makes us feel as though we have to be careful around both in order to keep peace. To have complete harmony between the two makes for a perfect situation, especially when our family welcomes our friends and considers them as part of the union as well.
The love of family and friends is a treasure. Being close to our families is very important, and having a true friend is a rarity as well. It takes a special friend to know when to let families have their time and when to step in and be a friend, without interference.
By Kat Ballew
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