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3/11/2013, 9:15pm

To be or not to be friends

By Olivia Straka

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“I just want to be friends.”

Those dreaded six words that every man, woman and teenager dreads.

It brings a relationship to a screeching halt.

There is obviously no way that exes can be friends, everyone knows that.

But, why is that?

Why is it so taboo in our society to become friends with someone we once dated?

If you really step back and think about it, those people would make the best friends.

They know things about you that a lot of people do not, assuming that it was a relationship with open communication.

They have been through hardships with you, seen you cry and laugh and go absolutely crazy.

When it comes down to it, ex – boyfriends or girlfriends are prime friendship material and I think it is sad that so often that experience is lost because people let their wounded prides in the way.

It is hard to accept that something is over, especially when no one knows what happens in the future.

There is no saying that an ex will stay an ex.

So why dismiss the possibility of it blooming into a friendship?

The reason is because I truly stand by the fact that best friends make the best boyfriends or girlfriends.

You will not ruin the chances of having a relationship back by getting to know someone better.
If you do, then that is not the person you were meant to end up with.

Being broken up with is hurtful, wounding and extremely humbling.

However, being the breaker is even worse.

It is terrifying and exhausting and you rarely feel good by making someone you care about feel so sad.

It is even worse when there is really no solution to the breakup, sometimes the timing is just off and that is hard to explain to someone who means so much to you.

What it comes down to is the truth.

As long as you are honest, there should be no reason that you cannot be friends.

Although it is hard advice to follow, I suggest anyone out there with a broken heart, to take some time and then work on swallowing their pride.

You may just get a better relationship out of it.

Or, if you are lucky, a very long lasting and fulfilling friendship.

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