My mom always said that men & woman cannot be friends- sex is always there. I used to think she was wrong but the older I get, the more I am shown how correct she was. Even if both parties do not feel the attraction, it always seems to be present with at least one of the people. It always ends up being problematic at some point

I’ve often wondered about that. I think that there might be attraction or chemistry, but it doesn’t mean it needs to be acted upon. If both parties want a platonic friendship, the, then yes, they can maintain a platonic relationship.