We all know about commitment: agreeing to be with someone for the unforeseeable future. Dedicating ourselves to the unknown, even at the risk of failure. Relationships are about being brave enough to take that plunge.
Once or twice I’ve been faced with a very different kind of commitment: the commitment to being just friends.
I’m not shy about discussing my fear of burning bridges and my general desire to stay friends with those I have dated. There are times, however, I have found that it’s not so easy to keep things platonic. The memory is a strong muscle and it’s easy for us to get tempted to relive what once was.
I once I had a very lax attitude about this, trusting that a strong friendship with a guy would be strong enough to overcome any slip up we might have. As time passed, I came to realize that while we overcame a lot, things might not always be that easy. Being casual about our friendship could end it. And that definitely wasn’t worth it.
It was a battle, but not allowing myself to act anyway but completely platonic eventually did the trick. We established an unsaid boundary and, I’m happy to say, seem closer than ever.
How’s that for commitment?
–Maggie
