📊 The Co-op #14: Navigating Different Friendship Capacities

What to do when your levels are not aligning.

What is The Co-op?

A place to share your thoughts and ideas for a community question. We lasso the power of the hive mind to help one another and provide helpful judgment-free answers or suggestions.

How does it work?

I will post a question from the community and if you have wisdom or ideas, simply comment and share them!

Today’s question is from Brianna!

How do you handle differing capacity for, and perhaps even interest in, a friendship compared to what your friend might have?

For example, I'm single, live alone, have no children, and am an extrovert. My interest and capacity for friendship are high, both personality-wise and life-space-wise. I'd go so far as to say that my friendships naturally take a larger space in my life than they likely do for my partnered and/or parenting friends--a bigger piece of my Life Pie Chart, if you will — because I don't have anyone else in my household to help fulfill my relational needs. It can feel really difficult at times, and I'm wondering if anyone has found a way to help bridge that gap or at least accept it?

Ah yes, adult friendship personified. We love to frolic in a field of flowers. None of these women use prescription deodorant. They love to touch each other. Nothing to see here. Just perfectly normal adult female friendship.

Reminders:

Don’t be judge-y or creepy.
Keep each other’s confidence well.
Resources, wisdom, experience, and general solidarity are all welcomed.
Disrespectful comments will be deleted post haste.