Can Lovers Really Be Friends?

You've probably heard it a million times: "You have to be friends first." It might be easier said than done, but above all else, you really have to make an effort to keep your friendship in order to have a successful love relationship.

If your friendship starts to fade as your love relationship develops, you could be in trouble. Prevent this from happening by continuing to be open with each other. If you were friends before you started dating, try to keep in mind what your friendship used to be like. Remember how you used to share secrets with each other that you couldn't tell other people? Isn't that part of why you became such intimate friends in the first place? This kind of intimacy NEEDS to continue in your love relationship for it to remain healthy.

But CAN lovers really be friends?

Of course they can - and they should! Two people may share intense passion and physical attraction, but to have no friendship to carry them through the rest of their relationship is just not going to work.

A true friend is a confidant, a person who will be there for you in an emergency. Someone who you can rely on to hold you up, carry you through, be a sounding board and share your experiences with.

Romantic love is a wonderful thing, but friendship is the solid foundation that keeps the relationship together, even when romantic love and sexual attraction aren't at their peak. Friendship is what will get you through difficult times - like the baby crying all night, or illness or financial stress.