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| And then she said... |
You know... you're hanging out, chatting, enjoying the company. And then the conversation turns to, "My friend Samantha and I were at dinner the other night and were talking about the same thing" or "Audrey and I headed to a movie last weekend and LOVED what we saw! You have to check it out sometime."
Throughout your conversations with your friends these other people keep popping up. And that twinge of jealousy pops its ugly head. Why didn't I get an invite to dinner? I would have loved to see that movie too!
It's just natural to feel this way, right?
People we know are bound to have other relationships. It's just inevitable. We're social by nature. But sometimes hearing about the fun one is always having with another friend can get a bit tiring to hear. Then thoughts about if the other friend is more fun or easier to hang out with pop up.
Am I a good enough friend? Do I have to compete?
No, silly. It's not a competition. And your friend probably doesn't even realize that you are upset or jealous. Because, you know, you didn't tell them! And there really is no reason to tell them unless it's causing friction in your relationship.
We just have to get over it and realize that there is a LOT more going on in life to worry about little things like this. Because really, in the grand scheme of life, it's not a big deal. Jealousy is natural as long as we don't allow it to consume us and it comes in small doses.
Then that day comes. The day you meet the other friend. And you realize why your friend likes them so much. So much so that you want to be their friend too.
These exact feelings and emotions are being felt by our children as well once they hit a certain age. Whether it be their school friends, neighborhood friends, church friends. They too can feel as you do sometimes. So remember to keep an open dialogue with them, talk to them about how they're feeling, and let them know that you feel this way sometimes as well.
It might be nice to hear that they aren't the only ones going through this type of jealousy. That it's normal.
How do you deal with jealousy between friends? Between your child(ren)s friends?
