Do believe you can be in love with someone without wanting to date them?
I am a guy and I have a friend who I have known for a few years. Her and I are pretty close and recently she has been there for me at times where I was down and it felt good. More recently I have thought about her a lot more often than usual and I worry about things for her that normally come in a relationship (if she drinks and drives, hoping she makes it home safe, etc). The feelings and thoughts I have are possibly a form of love (something I believe in no way have I ever experienced, even with family). However when I think about going out with this girl, it does not spark much interest in my heart. In fact she is currently seeing a good friend of mine and I am really happy for both of them and hope they progress more. Likewise I worry for both of them about one or the other getting hurt. But when I think about her smile and when she is happy, I feel very pleased and sometimes feel emotional. It almost puts a tear to my eye sometimes just thinking about her in both good and bad situations. I care greatly about my friends and their lives and wellbeing, and for her it is usually even deeper than that. Do you think this is some form of love? Do you believe that's even possible for someone who you only consider a friend? How should I handle this feeling I have? I want her to know how much I care about her but at the same time I don't want to misinterprate my feeling and I do not want her to take it the wrong way. Any advice is greatly appriciated.