I had this same experience. My friendship was with a woman who was a bit older than I was and she would always remind me of that fact. She provided me with great insight and lots of fun times, however, I think she always thought I needed her guidance in everything. I know she loved me as I loved her, but we were never equals. She never asked for my advice and often dismissed my opinions. I stepped back for a while because she became very overbearing. We went from speaking every day to maybe twice a week. Unfortunately, she passed away suddenly last year and I still feel regret about the type of friendship we had. I wish she had really gotten to know me better as an equal.