Dear Heart to Heart,
I thought of my best friend as "just a friend" until recently. We've been best friends for about three years now, and he's always there for me. Recently, life has been tough on me, and I'll break down. He always approaches me delicately and doesn't make me talk, he just holds me and tells me things will be all right. And he'll also tell me I'm great and stuff like that. He'll hold my hand until I feel better, and I see that we are just growing closer and closer. We've talked about dating, but I'm not sure how to stay friends with him if we break up. I'm not sure if I should wait, go for it or not do anything at all.
—Liz, 16, Denver, CO
It sounds like you have a really amazing person in your life, so it's no wonder you are concerned about risking such a special, important friendship. But that said, the best relationships are often the ones where you know the person well as a friend first. After all, you already know each other's strengths and weaknesses, feel comfortable around each other and get along well. So even though you are worried about what might happen if you break up, it seems like it would be a shame to miss out on an opportunity to get closer to someone who so great and obviously cares about you, too!
If your feelings toward him are turning romantic, and he feels the same way, we say go for it! And if things don't work out, that doesn't mean you won't be friends afterward, so long as you both treat each other kindly and with respect while you're dating and beyond.
—Andrea Pyros
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