love, or friendship?

Dear RAP,

I've been hangin out with this girl for the past year or 2 and at first i never noticed anything, but all of a sudeen she became very close, she started talkin to me, started calling me to hang out, and did so much more, she also planned out the entire birthday for me. is this love or friendship?
Jerr

Dear Jerr
It could just be a loving friendship - as in Platonic love. Lots of men and women share loving friendships that are not necessarily romantic. However, that can still be a big problem if one of the friends wants romance in addition to the friendship. If that's your desire, then you should speak to her about it directly. Tell her that you would like to know if she is interested in becoming romantically involved, so that you can be clear about the relationship. If she's also interested in romance, then great - you can both take the next step. If she's not interested in romance, then it's still great, because you will have eliminated the question from your mind while still remaining friends with her; and you'll feel free to pursue a romantic love (and friendship) with someone else.
Your pal,
Paul