I'm so used to friendship coming naturally due to circumstance and now that I have a friendship that takes work, I'm lost
It might be a little complicated. Most of the friends I've had were from childhood. Others were met through other friends and we just clicked and got along really well. Those felt natural. But I met this girl at work and at first I thought we hit it off, we were so similar in so many ways and we bonded over lots of things. But two problems. Number one, I met her and know her primarily from a professional setting (she was my supervisor) and I struggle to separate her as a friend from her as an authority figure. I still feel like I need to "perform" well and seek approval, which I'm aware is unhealthy. Problem two, we fell out of contact for about 10 months, no contact from either side. We've both addressed the reasons for this so that part is fine. But now I feel like I know her less, and scheduling time to hang out feels more like scheduling an appointment. Not that I don't enjoy spending time with her, it just feels more like an obligation rather than purely for enjoyment. Idk what else to add to this for now, might have to clarify some things if need be. I just...really want to be her friend but I don't know how to navigate it. Any advice is appreciated. Thank you
edit: idk how much it matters but im 19, shes 20.
Posted Jan 4, 2023, 6:19 PM UTC · edited