When Friends Divorce, Who Gets You?

 When a friend finds that certain someone, starts dating, and introduces him or her around, you will most likely extend your friendship to the new person. What happens when they break up? After a month, it's not so big a deal. You go back to the way things were. After a decade or two of marriage, it's a lot harder. Lives and families are intertwined.

You may think that the divorce is just between the two of them, and logically you should be able to maintain friendships with both. Realistically, face it: you're part of the divorce settlement. Your name may not be on the paperwork, but it will shake out that you land on one side or the other, at least for awhile.

Those quirky things that happened between them when they were married? Not so quirky anymore. Any dysfunctions that existed in communication - either what they had with each other or how they communicated with you - are amplified. You can easily become collateral damage.

Do yourself a favor: get out of the line of fire. Unless you choose, you are in the middle. Don't be. Choose a side and let it play to whatever end there will be. It may not be fair, but life isn't fair.

photo credit: dreamstime