Balancing friendship and love!

Sometimes, after you are in a relationship, friends complain of being ignored. It's important to strike a balance

What's love got to do with it, you would think, if one of your friends starts behaving strangely with you. But then, while you may be in love and probably the best phase of your life, your close friends may well be a little unhappy with you over the fact that of late, you haven't been going for those weekend night-outs with them. Or, say, not accompanying them for shopping. Especially when the romantic liaison is fresh, people put everyone else on the back-burner and don't take time out for friends, which creates a distance that is hard to bridge. How does one manage this situation?

Losing friends is a terrible thing and while it is important that even your friends understand the changed circumstances, you also need to reach a certain level of understanding with your partner and tell him/her that you need to spend time with your friends too. Clear communication always helps and try explaining the situation patiently, without getting into arguments and fights. Also tell your friends that priorities change in life and from now on, there will be times when you won't be able to devote that much time to them. But that doesn't make you less caring or concerned about them. Everyone has to understand certain situations and act in a mature way. Also, introduce your friends to your special someone and if your friends get along well with the love of your life, then nothing like it! That will automatically make things far easier. In case of a misunderstanding, it's best to sort it out right on the spot by talking it out with your friends or partner. Your relationship needs to be based on balancing and trust. For instance, even if you hang out with your female friends, your girlfriend should trust you fully and not keep calling you after every five minutes. The same applies to you if your girlfriend/wife is out with her guy friends. Being possessive is fine, but such behaviour never helps! You can't really pick between the love of your life and friends who have stood by you in the toughest of situations. It is always best to strike a balance.