I get tons of calls on my radio show, Dawson McAllister Live. Many of them are about boyfriend/girlfriend and broken hearts. Sometimes, the consequences of dating can be horrific, like unwanted pregnancy, STDs, and abuse. I find myself saying to so many of these callers, “You don’t need a boyfriend. You just need a friend who’s a boy.” 

The same is true with guys. We think we need that special girl, but often we simply want a woman in our lives to help us understand more about the female point of view. What I’m trying to say is having a friend from the opposite sex is a huge gift to you and can be far healthier than the drama of dating. I wish every guy whoever dates would have a friend who is a girl to help him understand life better. I asked my blogger friends (those who comment on my blog) to blog about the advantages of having a friend from the opposite sex. I read through every comment and came up with 7 good reasons why you need the gift of a friend of the opposite sex or “Just Friends”. 

 

3 Good Reasons

1. One benefit of “Just Friends” is you tend to respect the friendship you have. I wonder how many teenagers and young adults have a “Just Friends” relationship. 

   “We don’t want to ruin what we have.”

   I don’t know of any surveys taken to answer that question, but from my experience on my radio show, I would guess it would be less than 50%. Finding a good friend of the opposite sex is not easy to do, but it’s more than worth it. So people who have “Just Friends” relationships tend to respect them and take care of them more than just random dating. “I'm best friends with a guy named Mikey and he's awesome. We respect each other. We know that we don't want anything to ruin what we have.” (Angelica)
2. Another benefit of “Just Friends” is it tends to be more like brother and sister. Everybody needs brothers and sisters, but let’s just suppose for a moment that you’re a guy who doesn’t have a sister or a girl who doesn’t have a brother. Or perhaps you don’t relate well to your brother or sister. “Just Friends” can help fill the gap of those who have never experienced a good brother or sister relationship. “It’s [‘Just Friends’] like having a brother or a sister for those of you who didn’t have either. Or didn’t have a sibling of the opposite sex.” (Christy) By the way, if you have a good relationship with your brother or sister, you are truly blessed. Someday I’ll blog on this topic.
4. One of the greatest benefits of “Just Friends” is learning more about the opposite sex. It seems to me that many students and young adults do not really understand the opposite sex. Let’s face it, no matter what our culture may say, men and women look at the world differently and react differently to life. That’s one reason why in dating, things get so confusing. Because along with the deep emotion comes confusion and frustration. But a friend from the opposite sex can fill you in on what women/men are like. They can answer a lot of your questions about the opposite sex and save you all kinds of grief. “I think it's great to have a friend of the opposite sex because sometimes the same sex won't understand some things you are going through such as if you have been in a bad break up, a guy can see your point of view when you're talking about your ex, and it gives you an opportunity to see both sides of the story...” (Megan)

I have given you just 3 of your reasons why having friends from the opposite sex (“Just Friends”) is such a good idea. I have 4 more good reasons for your next week. In the meantime, if you don’t have a “Just Friends” relationship with someone from the opposite sex, begin to look for one. It’s not easy to find one that works, but when they work, they really work well. If you already have a “Just Friends” relationship, why don’t you this week tell him/her how much your relationship means to you. 

I have found 7 good reasons why “Just Friends” is a really cool way to go, but you may know of more reasons than what I have found. Please comment below. It will help me for next week’s blog, and it’s always good to comment about a very special “Just Friends” relationship.