i was very disturbed about certain things for the past couple of days. mainly concerning the idea of boundaries as far as friendship is concerned.

the idea of space dominates fairly largely in all my relationships with people, so it always stresses me out if i have to do something that i percieve as an encroachment on other people's space. i usually vascillate between being a detached bystander who keeps hoping that the adult in the other person will surface and being an overly protective mother hen.
so, in order to gain a perspective on things i decided to wiki friendship. here's what they say. its the third point at the end which is a killer though.

Friendship is a term used to denote co-operative and supportive behaviour between two or more humans. This article focuses on the notion specific to interpersonal relationships. In this sense, the term connotes a relationshipknowledge, esteem, and affection. Friends will welcome each other's company and exhibit loyalty towards each other, often to the point of altruism. Their tastes will usually be similar and may converge, and they will share enjoyable activities. They will also engage in mutually helping behavior, such as exchange of advice and the sharing of hardship. A friend is someone who may often demonstrate reciprocating and reflective behaviors. Yet for many, friendship is nothing more than the trust that someone or something will not harm them. Value that is found in friendships is often the result of a friend demonstrating on a consistent basis: which involves mutual

• the tendency to desire what is best for the other.
• sympathy and empathy.
• honesty, perhaps in situations where it may be difficult for others to speak the truth.
• mutual understanding.