Love can be a one sided affair but friendship is a two way street..The latter is more beneficial as it brings a positive affect on both parties. Parents can love their kids, but if they turn that into a friendship, it becomes more beneficial. A wife may love her husband, but if she makes him a friend, both will benefit immensely. Love comes with a sense of ownership. The more intense it is, the more it’s desire to turn the other person into a slave. However Friendship comes with mutual respect. It respects the other individual’s personal space and shows you how to maintain a safe distance. This applies to all kinds of relationships, whether between a brother sister or even two friends.

Friendship brings more benefits than love. Actually true love is friendship.

Now let us discuss the flip side as well. If in a relationship you get neglected or taken for granted then what does one do? Perhaps it’s time for you to take a step back, improve upon your friendship and practice the virtue of patience until the other person realizes the value you hold. At times this may be easier said than done. Your patience may turn you into a door mat and an object for mental or physical abuse. In such times counseling of elders or of another friend can be of assistance and should be attempted.

If the abuse still continues then either you take the difficult decision of living with it or take the other difficult decision of quietly moving on. Neither of these are one better than the other. Both can be as traumatic.

Whichever choice one makes, whether to give another chance or to call it off, do not get into the blame game of whose fault it was because it was of none. As a life long student each one of us have to continuously go through new learnings. There is no pass or fail, it’s only retrospect, self analysis and self improvement. Such experiences help us to look inside of us and grow spiritually. In fact if we grow ourselves spiritually even before such an incident happens, it may actually never happen. Thus, from your busy schedules, it is important that we take out time for activities which help us feed our souls. It can be meditation, visiting a place of worship, listening to music, reading a book, talking to plants or any similar soul stirring exercise.

Friendship is an art, the more we practice it, the better we become. In life any time, look for a friend. Make friends, not subjects of your at times unruly love.

As learnt from my Best friends, my wife and my children.