Family Members and Friendship

If you find that you have less friends then you think is idea, there is a potential source of really great friendships that you might not have considered, your family.

Why Would Relatives Make Good Friends?

Brothers, sisters, cousins, even in-laws are all good candidates for strong, satisfying friendships. After all, you already share one important thing in common, you are related, and that can be a powerful bond.

Also you already know several important things about your potential new friend. You know your relative's family background, personality, fears, loves, mood swings, foibles, pet peeves and the like, so there will be very few surprises that will pop up.

Examples

(submitted by jonathan)

My older sister is one of my very close friends, but we sure didn't start out that way. She and I fought like Tom and Jerry over clothes, jewelry, the phone and whose turn it was to clean the room until the day she got married and moved away. But now that we are adults, we've become very close, spending many hours talking on the phone or shopping together.

My friend Cathy is very close to her brother’s wife Sandra. Cathy and Sandra share a love of the “chick flick”, so when Cathy’s brother reaches his quota of tearjerkers for the year, which is usually two, Sandra will get together with Cathy instead. Cathy reports that she has shared many wonderful evenings with Sandra, and that she is more than just her sister in-law, she’s a valued friend.

So think about your relatives. Which of them would you like to get a little closer to? What are their hobbies or their favorite sport, and would you like to participate? And don’t forget your older and younger relatives. Good friendships can be had among them as well. After all, family is good for more than just sharing Thanksgiving dinner.