Ever heard someone say “no, were just friends”.

I have a number of friends who are woman. I count many of them as some of my closest and best friends.

On occasion either I, or they have said, “oh, were just friends”.

After being called upon to support some of these ‘just friends’ during some tough times and I having made similar demands on them, I have realized that there is no such thing as ‘just friends’.

To say that you’re ‘just friends’ while perhaps well intentioned is really an insult. It’s saying that being friends is somehow less important then being a romantic partner.

Think about. When romance goes sour or you face tough times, your friends are there to help you get through it.

Your best friends, your inner circle will be there to cry when you cry and laugh when you laugh. They will hold your hand when you’re down and pat you and give you a hug for encouragement.

If you have someone who is ‘just a friend’ perhaps we really shouldn’t be calling him or her a friend. Perhaps it’s time we resurrect the term ‘acquaintance’.

Much like the phrase ‘I love you’, I think we spread the term ‘friend’ around far too much without much regard for the meaning. This has the effect of cheapening the phrase.

Think about it. If someone tells you they ‘love’ you but you observe them saying the same thing to just about everyone, even when you know they don’t, doesn’t that effect how you receive it.

I think the same thing applies with friendship. Now, I don’t know what the threshold is for making the jump from acquaintance to being a friend and even less idea when you become someone’s best friend. Certainly it has a lot to do with how much you let someone into your life.

As one of my best friends stated, I have people that I’ll relate certain personal stories to, but I don’t tell them what makes me happy or what makes me sad.

The dictionary defines an acquaintance as: A person one knows slightly, but who is not a close friend : a wide circle of friends and acquaintances.

Doesn’t that describe a lot of people you know? I know it does for me.

Am I necessarily friends with the spouses of my friends? No. Most certainly, working with people doesn’t make them your friends.

I would encourage people to use care when applying the label of friend to people. This doesn’t make it less valuable, it makes it more valuable.

When something comes along but in short supply, the demand goes up.

Guard your friendships closely. Let few people into your inner circle. Value every great friend you have.

There is no such thing as ‘just friends’.

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