Quote:
Originally Posted by Manipulated-Minds
I'd like to have a close friendship like that, but I don't even know anyone's phone number to call them at 3 in the morning. All of my friendships go just to a certain point and then stop. I never tell them anything personal, and they never tell me. I haven't found out how to go past that without sounding needy.
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I have three friends, my father, my adult daughter and my wife - though she was my best friend before I married her and remains so. The list is small and you might think it's padded with family members. You'ld be right too
But family doesn't make a friend; I haven't spoken to my mother in about 20 years... not mad at her, just don't like her. Anyway...
I understand what you mean about telling people personal things and sounding needy as a result. My thinking on sharing personal stuff is this: If it helps them, then I'll share regardless of how personal it is. I'm not going to let embarressment or shyness stop me from helping someone. Sometimes it's just sharing something that lets them know that I really do understand their predicament, sometimes it's what I did when 'such and such' happened to me.
Sharing part of yourself is a gift. If a person was sharing to get sympathy or attention, then it isn't a gift - it's a tradeoff.