I have a cousin who I have always been very close to, definitely more like sisters and I would readily call her one of my best friends even though she is several years younger. Problem is that she is an extremely popular and very busy person and now that she at uni it is just impossible to really talk to her or spend time with her. I believe she genuinely is busy as she literally spends most weekends travelling up and down the country for social events, has multiple holidays with different groups each year and has the most full and hectic social life on top of full time study. She is genuinely one of the kindest most lovely people I know but I can't help but feel quite abandoned. I do have other friends but none who I am as close to. I think this is part of the issue, I have maybe 5 close (ish) friends and she easily has 20+.
I am currently 6mon. pregnant and expecting my first child with my husband who often works away for extended periods. At the beginning of my pregnancy she was the first person to know after my husband and was so excited and happy for me but now it feels like we barely speak. A few times over the past few months I have had to ask her for favours when there was literally no one else for important things and each time she has said no due to social engagements and whilst I get it, this really makes me feel that I'm never the priority to her that she is to me.
She is someone who when we do speak will say I am always here for anything you need, I'm at the end of the phone if you need to talk etc. (Of course I always say and do these things too) but each time I have called because I needed to talk she will decline the call and say "sorry doing x with x, you ok?" or something to that effect, if anything. Each time we try to plan a time to see one another we have to book literally months in advance and often when the time comes she will have either double booked or will tell me how burnt out she is from all the social demands and I end up saying look it's ok we can reschedule because I don't want our friendship to be at the cost of her wellbeing.
Don't get me wrong it's not that she is never there for me it's just it always seems that there just isn't time in her life for me. I know she has had similar problems with her boyfriend in the past where he has also felt that he comes second to her social life so I know it's not just me.
I just don't really know how to navigate this. It feels unfair to talk about this with her since she's of course allowed to have a busy and thriving life but I do feel really frustrated with her. I feel like giving up trying to maintain a relationship with her but feel really sad at the thought of losing connection with my best friend and ultimately it would be me who ends up feeling even more alone anyway.