Male Friends Vs. Boyfriends

Do we put too much pressure on our men? Do we as women treat our male friends with the respect our boyfriends wish they had? I had this very thought in an earlier conversation. I think somewhat unknowingly to us, we treat our male friends with more trust, and respect then we show our lovers. Granted we may do this for many self justified reasons, but do we realize the damage it may do to our relationship.

Having had most male friends in my life I have found there is a distinct difference between how I treat a close male friend in my life, and how I treat a lover. When you are close friends with a man and there is no sex involved, you tend to respond better to their needs. I knew when a close friend of mine was upset, and didn't wanna talk about it my best bet was to back off. I would wait patiently, and when he was ready to talk he would come to me. So why is it different with our significant other?

I believe when a woman is with a man she really cares about she can loose touch of what made her such a great friend in the first place. In a relationship we want to know everything about our man what he's thinking, feeling, doing, where he's going, and how long he's going to be there. When did we stop being a friend, and start being a mother? We as women fail to realize how important it is to give a man his space. We care so much that we want to know the essence of the problem right away, without questioning the real motive. Are we doing it for love, or for peace of mind?

I believe when a female is friends with a male she doesn't have as many feelings invested as she does with her lover. We meet and loose friends all the time, but when you love someone the bond is much greater and the loss is just the same. Do we subconsciously protect our feelings in fear of getting hurt? If not, why is it so hard to trust our lover, the way we trust our friend? I think we need to look at the bond with our friend and lover, compare the two and always remember that our lover is still our friend, and losing that friendship could cause everything to unravel in our hands.