Most Popular Posts On The Friendship Blog – 2021
Most popular posts 2021
In 2021, a very unusual year by any measure, we recognized the importance of our friendships and social supports, perhaps more than ever.
Yet, when it comes to friendship, there are no clear rules of the road. Friendship dilemmas can be tricky and advice for handling them varies from situation to situation and from person to person.
Below are the top posts on The Friendship Blog (in order) that seemed to resonate most with readers.
I always try to offer my best advice to readers given the limitations of not knowing the people involved or all the specifics of the situation. Your reader comments on each post offer additional perspectives that can be invaluable to readers.
Thanks for sharing your stories and quandaries, and also your trust. Wishing you good health and a year of peace and happiness in 2022!
TOP POSTS ON THE FRIENDSHIP BLOG 2021
1. Slowly Being Excluded From An Adult Clique: What Could Have Happened?
Whether it’s on the playground or at the senior center, no one likes to feel excluded or left out of a group. Often, the reasons for this happening aren’t obvious. In this post, a reader feels as if friends she’s known for a number of years are pulling away from her.
2. No Friends In High School: What Am I Doing Wrong?
No friends in high school
One of the most common complaints from women of all ages is that they have no friends. Understandably, someone even admitting that they are friendless can be embarrassing and stigmatizing. Yet, it is the first step towards making a change. The anonymity of this blog makes it easier for people to openly discuss this tricky issue. In this post, a high school reader describes herself as nice, inclusive, and enthusiastic but friendless, and is stumped about why she spends her weekends alone.
3. My Friend Is Acting Distant And Is Giving Me The Cold Shoulder
It’s difficult to know what to do when someone with whom you want to remain friends, seems to be backing away from you. The friend might be avoiding getting together or limiting your get-togethers to mixed-company (with another person or with a group). In this case, the two women who have had an 18-year-long friendship with a shared history seem to be at odds. The reader wonders what she can do to get things on a better track.
4. Getting Over A Friendship With A Next-Door Neighbor
When a friendship with a neighbor becomes acrimonious or unsatisfying, it can be extraordinarily uncomfortable. Like workplace friendships, friendships with neighbors are a double-edged sword. When they’re good, they can be convenient and mutually supportive. When they don’t work out, two neighbors have to come face-to-face when they would rather not see each other. This reader feels she got too involved with an angry neighbor and doesn’t know how to extricate herself from the situation.
5. Remaining Friends With Friends Who Don’t Reciprocate
It can be frustrating to have friends who don’t reciprocate
The best friendships are reciprocal, a matter of give-and-take. Even the very best friendships are equal all the time but over time, there is a balance that evens out. This reader is frustrated about always playing the role of the hostess and inviting people to her home without anyone reciprocating. She doesn’t like the feeling of being used or taken advantage of.
6. Is It Disloyal To Talk To A Friend’s Enemy?
Sometimes, it can be hard to figure out how much loyalty one owes to a friend. If your friend doesn’t like someone, does that mean that you should dislike that person too? Should you cut off all ties? If your friend is very sensitive and possessive of your friendship, how do you handle it?
7. Help! My Teenage Daughter Is Losing Her Friends
Mothers always worry about their daughter’s health and well-being. This mom is concerned that he daughter has low self-esteem and no friends. She wonders what to say or do to support her in making things better. An adolescent psychologist offers some suggestions.
8. My Clingy Friend Calls Me Too Often
Relationships can be draining when one person is more attached than the other. It can take the form of constant calls or requests to get together that are grating on the second person. This reader was getting more than 10 calls a day, with what seemed like incessant chatter, and started to feel smothered. She asks for advice on to handle the situation.
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Category: MAKING FRIENDS
