A Broken Friendship
A woman is seeking advice on whether to reach out to her former best friend, Carla, after a falling out a few years ago. The rift occurred when Carla’s son got married, and the woman was unable to attend the wedding due to financial difficulties and transportation issues. Despite being close friends for 25 years, Carla has not spoken to the woman since the incident.
The Incident
The woman had explained to Carla that she couldn’t afford to attend the wedding, which was held an hour and a half away from her location, and was hoping that Carla would offer to drive her or provide accommodation at the hotel where the wedding took place. However, Carla did not extend any such offer, and the woman was unable to attend the wedding.
The Aftermath
Carla has not returned the woman’s calls since then and has moved out of state. The woman is still upset about the situation and misses her former friend terribly. She is seeking advice on whether it would be wrong to contact Carla again after all these years.
Advice
The advice given is that weddings can be complicated, and it’s likely that Carla was stressed and distracted at the time. While it’s understandable that the woman felt hurt and upset, it may have been unreasonable to expect Carla to provide transportation and accommodation. If the woman wants to reach out to Carla for closure, she should do so, but she shouldn’t expect to revive their former relationship, especially given the geographical distance between them.
A Troubled Marriage
In a separate letter, a woman who has been married for 44 years is seeking advice on how to deal with her husband’s behavior. Her husband has been reminding her that she "ruined" his life by encouraging him to get closer to their grandson, and he has also made it clear that he doesn’t like their son’s mother-in-law.
The Issue
The husband’s behavior is causing tension in their relationship, and the woman is tired of worrying about whether he will participate in their grandson’s events when the other grandmother is present. She is considering divorce as a way to escape her misery.
Advice
The advice given is that if the husband hasn’t reconciled with the situation, he must have agreed to get closer to their son and family. The wife should consider whether his misery is due to his aversion to his daughter-in-law’s mother or if there are other underlying issues. If it’s the former, she should attend their grandson’s events without her husband and let him stay home. If it’s the latter, it may be better for him to return to the community where he felt more comfortable.
