Tag: change
Is a less-than-perfect friend better than no friend at all?
It’s so easy to become attached to the idea of "having a best friend" that we ignore the reality of a flawed friendship. QUESTION Dear Irene, There’s a girl who I thought was my best friend forever whom I’ve grown to dislike. I feel guilty for wanting to dump her, but I don’t know […]
A teen asks: Why are friendships so fleeting?
The teen years are a time when young people are finding out who they are and figuring out whom to befriend–making friendships somewhat fleeting.
Managing relationships with ‘friend-in-laws’
QUESTION Hi Irene, I have a friend who I have been close to for 11 years. About eight years ago, I met her husband’s brother and fell in love. We are now married. At first this seemed great, my best friend was becoming my sister-in-law! I started to feel over time that I couldn’t […]
Friends: From almost-sisters to almost strangers
QUESTION Dear Irene, My best friend of 18 years always called me "the sister she never had". We live in the same city and used to talk on the phone at least 5 to 10 times a day and got together frequently. About two years ago she and her husband began divorce proceedings. I tried […]
Fluid friendships: Is it just me?
QUESTION Dear Irene, I am in my late 50s and feel discouraged to discover that all of my friendships seem so fluid. I’ve had very good friends during all the phases of my life — high school, college, work —but after awhile as circumstances change (such as leaving school, moving away, job changes, marriage, etc.) […]
Changing places and changing friendships
QUESTION Dear Irene, I have never been the type to initiate friendships, although I can usually guess pretty accurately whether I’ll end up being friends with someone from the moment we meet. I just wait for the friendship to ‘happen’ or for them to make the effort. I have very few friends and am somewhat […]
Deserted by housemates
QUESTION Dear Irene, For the past sixteen months I’ve lived with two very vibrant, interesting, artistic women in a lovely house in the Toronto Beaches. Two days ago they moved out and I’ve been crying non-stop. I knew they were leaving for three months but it didn’t hit me until they left. I have a […]
When close friends become far-away friends
What do you do when close friends become far-away friends?
Friendship by the Book: Nine Rooms of Happiness BOOK GIVEAWAY
The Nine Rooms of Happiness: Loving Yourself, Finding Your Purpose, and Getting Over Life’s Little Imperfections (Hyperion Voice, 2010) offers straightforward strategies, or “pearls” of wisdom, for resolving relationship conflicts. One gem that particularly resonated with me was: “You can’t change them. You can change yourself.” Having wasted incalculable time in my own youth trying […]
How to handle a fizzling friendship
QUESTION Dear Irene, I’ve been friends for three years with a guy at my office. We became friends after a really rough period in which I was demoted, isolated, and treated quite shabbily, though I couldn’t afford to leave and wasn’t in the best psychological state to do so (like, I was in need […]
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