As a single woman surrounded by couples, it’s always hard to understand what role you occupy within the group. In my own experience, this is especially true when it comes to formerly close friendships that begin to weaken when a new relationship arises.
Now…as a friend, it is your job to support the new relationship and accept that your friend might not be as free to do things as they once were. In each case though, there are limits. Remember that it is also their job to be there for you, so if they put all of their focus on their new love and allow you to fall completely off their radar it’s time to have a talk.
It is easy to say that the single friend is just jealous, much like a young child who gains a sibling and now has to share their parents’ love and attention. But really, this is just an excuse that makes the single friend feel guilty and therefore too uncomfortable to raise the topic again. Do not let this happen to you.
Women tend to assume that their friends will be there no matter what, and in most cases, a true friend should abide by that rule. What most women seem to forget though, is that if they are not treating you like a friend, they are not necessarily welcome to the perks that friendship brings.
All too often women only use their friends to fill in the down time between hanging out with their new boyfriend, and assume that no-one will notice. These women also tend to spend the entire time they’re with you talking about their boyfriend, with little to no interest in your life at all. When their relationship hits a rough patch or fails though, they expect you to be waiting with a shoulder to cry on or a carefully drawn out plan of vengeance to ease their broken heart. Most times, a good friend will still be there, but to avoid being constantly cast in the role of ‘third wheel’, or even ‘afterthought’, it is important to make sure your friend understands that a new boyfriend is not a get out of jail free card in terms of letting you down.
If you are, or ever have been in this predicament, I have compiled a humourous ‘Life Cycle of a Third Wheel’ using content from around the magical internet to ease your pain. Enjoy!