When Your Feelings Exceed Theirs

    This I believe is a common occurrence in the life of people; what do you do when you have a friend and feel completely different about them then they do about you?  To say that it's a complicated and delicate situation is a major understatement.  That's not to say they don't like you; you're still friends.  Yet when you want to become closer, they are happy the way it is.  You can't push them to do, or feel something, they don't feel.  Nevertheless,  you are stuck at crossroads.  At this point, your only option is, if you love them, to respect their wishes and just remain casual friends.  The only other option being to decide whether you really want that hanging over your head throughout the friendship.  One of you has to learn to accept and change with the circumstances, otherwise this will always be a major disagreement between you.   It would be nice if you could approach relationships as a contract; both of the parties sit down and discuss what they want, put it on paper, sign it and then abide by it throughout the agreement.  Unfortunately, love and friendship don't work like that.  Emotions often overrule reason, and it becomes an inner battle to decide how best to handle the situation.  You can't run away at the first sign of conflict; no one would have anybody if they did that.  Yet you have to think of what value you place on that relationship and how much it means to you; how much they mean to you.  Only then can you decide; because if you make the wrong decision, you could lose someone you truly love forever.