Couples as Friends

Do you and your partner share the same friends? Do you have a group of friends that are yours and a group of friends that you share with your partner?

These are questions I wonder about, because I use to think that in order to have a healthy relationship you needed to share friends or at least be able to be friendly with whomever your partner was friends with.  Throughout the years I have found that it is not necessary.

I do however believe that it is healthy for you and your partner to have one or two friends that you share that are couples.  Sometimes it would be nice to travel with another couple, attend a concert, or have dinner just to share and talk about the things you have in common or to see if other couples have the same issues or pleasures that you do as a couple. I do like to see how other husbands are with their wives and get advice on how they balance or don’t balance their households. 

Once a year my husband and I travel with my sister and her husband.  For the most part it has always been memorable and we talk about those experiences all the time.  It creates a bond among us all and it gives us something to look forward to as a group.

My husband I and do not really go out a lot with others, but sometimes we would like the company of another couple.  I have known people who in their marriage their husband or wife only allowed them to be friends with a woman or man who was married. I think that is nonsense.

I do know that sometimes single friends may portray a lifestyle that you miss or envy just a little, but the reality is, if your relationship with your partner is strong and healthy there is no need to worry about those temptations.

My husband has a group of friends that he does not mind mixing with family, but then there are some friends that you just rather meet somewhere and hang out. It is not necessary to invite them to family functions or group functions period. They are those friends who have no filters and you want them to be themselves and you don’t want to make your partner uncomfortable or irritated so you keep them apart.

The friend zone is a sensitive topic in some relationships, especially when you start talking about friends of the opposite sex, which is another topic at another time.

I believe it is healthy to have couples as friends to you and your partner, but it is not always necessary. What do you think?