Best friend=boyfriend/girlfriend?

I never can solidify my opinion on how I feel about best friends (those of opposite sex or the same sex if they are gay) becoming romantic partners. One one hand, it seems weird because that person is your best FRIEND, which usually means that they aren't meant to fall under the romantic category. On the other hand, I have also noticed that best friends tend to form extremely strong and successful relationships. In general, there are many different ways the friendship could be affected if romance is brought into the mix. Thinking about how your friendships could be effected if they venture out of that "friend zone" is a very important thing to consider. So, let's go over a few situations that you could find yourself in...

First, sometimes best friends can be solely friends and have no problem with this. For example, opposite gender best friends often talk to each other about their relationship problems and usually jealousy doesn't come into the mix because neither likes one another in "that" way. I have a best guy friend who is more like my brother than anything else and our relationship has never gone past being friends. This is very typical and it is actually very nice to be able to have an opposite sex best friend who you can confide in and not have to worry about deeper feelings getting in the way. My best guy friend has helped me through some of the most difficult times of my life. I cherish our friendship immensely (except I would be fine with out him farting in front of me on a daily basis).

However, sometimes one person ends up falling for their best friend while the other person does not share the same feelings. They may not be attracted to their friend or just have difficult time thinking of them in that light. This could lead to many awkward situations but, if the other person can be honest about their feelings and try not to lead their friend on, there is a likelihood of the friendship going back to normal. Unfortunately, sometimes the friendship is broken because the other person feels crushed. If you have felt this before, don't think it is a unique experience. Being denied can be hard, but sometimes friendships can be so valuable that you can get past this sort of awkward situation. If you are on the other end, try not let your best friend down as kindly as possible and make sure to let them know how important they are to you. It may take a little while for your friend to get over the initial shock of you not sharing their same feelings, but with time they should be able to get over it eventually. This is a difficult situation to be in but it is both common and not impossible to deal with. 

Finally, often times best friends decide to become boyfriend and girlfriend. I have known individuals who were once best friends and now are dating. Their relationships are amazing because they already have such an intense connection and already know a great deal about one another. Relationships on this level can be very special. Other times, best friends who decide to date often experienced failed relationships because they aren't used to having to interact each other in a different way. If this happens to you, hopefully you and your best friend can find a way to smoothly going back to being friends. Keep in mind that the transition may not be exceptionally easy.  

Basically, the success of "best friend turned girlfriend/boyfriend relationships" all depend on the individual people. Sometimes best friends can become wonderful romantic partners who have a lot in common and sometimes taking it a step further can become sufficiently awkward. Make sure you think about the consequences before you decide to try it out with your best friend. On the other hand, don't be afraid to try to take it further because you don't want your friendship to be damaged. You never know what could be there unless you are willing to take a risk.