The Friendship

A couple of people have written to ask whatever happened to the longstanding friendship that I had had, the one that seemed to have come to an end.

It came to an end, unfortunately.

It is a long and complicated story, of interest to no one at this point.

Because the friendship had been for so many years, I could not let it go casually.  I looked at the relationship and at the friend long and hard.  I looked at her many good qualities and at the traits -- we all have them -- that are less admirable.  She's bright, she's funny, she's witty; she has many talents involving floss and fiber.  She is generous; she feeds the hungry, visits the sick, all of those kinds of things.

We had a difference of opinion.  It escalated.  This happened and then that.  Finally she was very rude and hurtful to me when we were with a group of people.  Rather than drawing further attention to her behavior by addressing it then and there, I waited until later, imagining that she would look back on what happened and apologize.  When she didn't, I told her how hurt I had been by her behavior.

She did not care.  That was the deal breaker for me.

There will be those who will read this who will know who and what I am talking about.  Heck, for all I know, the woman I write about  may read this.  And to all of them, I want to be perfectly clear:  This woman is not a bad person.  Far from it.  She is basically a very good person.  She just lacks a quality that I find essential after so many years.