It happens to all of us. You meet someone who makes your stomach burst with butterflies and suddenly he/she is all you can think about. This person slowly becomes the first one you think to tell about your day, the one you send funny memes to, the one you call when you're upset, the one you invite to dinner or on a road trip with your family. It's very easy to get swept up in a relationship and want to spend all of your time with that person. This is perfectly normal and honestly a great thing!
But you have to remember the people who filled those spots in your life before.
Don't forget the friend who was your go-to brunch date or the friend you'd text right away to tell a story to. The friend who has seen you at your best and worst. The friend who encouraged you to date this person in the first place.
The friend who is waiting by the phone and wondering why you never think to reach out anymore.
You have to remember who was there for you from the beginning. It's okay to spend most of your time with your significant other if that's what you want, but too often people forget their friends once they enter a relationship and leave them feeling neglected. Your plans with them get pushed back for dates with your sweetheart and they start to feel like you don't care about them anymore. But it doesn't have to be like that.
You can make time for everyone — you just have to try.
It's healthy to have relationships independent of your boyfriend or girlfriend. And those relationships need just as much nurture and care as your romantic ones! If you don't treat your friends right, who will be there if something goes wrong in your relationship? It may be a pessimistic view, but if things don't work out and you've alienated everyone else, who will you have left?
But much more than that, you should want to keep your friends close.
They will support you in your relationship and remind you of your worth. They will give you advice and supply you with much-needed girl or guy time. Don't take that for granted. You need time with your friends.
And remember, platonic love is just as wonderful as romantic love.
So the next time you meet someone who makes your heart soar, spend as much time with them as you want! But don't abandon the people who've stuck by you. Show them you love them too.
