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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

to be really struggling with this?

28 replies

Penguinface · 30/04/2012 11:40

I fell out with a previously very good friend recently. From all the sings, I looks like our friendship is over. She lives a few streets away and we go to some of the same things so I still see her around quite a bit. We don't speak or acknowledge each other and she seems quite happy with this. But it's killing me! My partner says to just get over it and move on but I feel really sad when I see her and I can't seem to stop worrying about it. It seems to have been ages sicne it happend but I can't seem to move on. I'm just really hurt and angry and sad and depressed. AIBU?

OP posts:
sh1t · 30/04/2012 11:41

You have nothing to lose as you have already lost it. Talk to her again and see if you can retrieve the relationship?

What happened?

MissFaversham · 30/04/2012 11:58

Yeah nosey what on earth happened then?

Cheddars · 30/04/2012 12:03

Yes definitely need more info before we can advise. Smile

WhataMistakeaToMakea · 30/04/2012 12:03

YANBU
I fell out with one friend YEARS ago (nothing major, just stuff all got a bit blown out of proportion). I see her a couple of times a year when we happen to be in the high street at the same time. It still feels very weird (we were best friends for years as kids and teenagers and slightly beyond) I really wish that she could at least say hi or smile, but instead she gives me evils and then puts on a big show at 'having fun' with the person she is with. Shame she can't just get over really but it's never going to change.

Maybe with time your ex friend will soften a bit, but otherwise there is not much you can do other than showing her the door is open by smiling when you see her.

Dappylittlemomma · 30/04/2012 12:25

Chances are she is feeling pretty similar to you- sorry for the end of a good friendship, even if she is hiding it. I reckon life is too short to hold grudges where the person you are hurting the most is yourself. Why not give the friendship one more try and if she doesn't recipriocate then move on.

Penguinface · 30/04/2012 12:31

Don't really want to get into the "I said, she said" of it all. I was bitching about her and her DSs and she got told what I'd said. I did apologise but she wasn't really interested. it's all gone on from there.

More bothered about me. I keep worrying that I'm going to lose all my friends cos if this one frined, who I was really close to, can't stand me any more, then it's only a matter of time b4 everyone else hates me too..... Sad

PS Thanks for the afvice so far, MNetters! Mistake, sorry to hear bout your situation, hope time heals for you too Brew

OP posts:
MissFaversham · 01/05/2012 15:55

Well the moral of the story OP is..

"If you haven't got anything nice to say come sit by me" I won't tell

Grin
ViviPru · 01/05/2012 15:56

You need to let this person move on and focus on nurturing your other friendships

TheHouseOnTheCorner · 01/05/2012 15:57

Why do you think you'll lose ALL your friends? Are they being unkind?

2shoes · 01/05/2012 16:00

well tbh I don't blame her, if you were being nasty about her kids,

Bumdrop · 01/05/2012 16:13

If I was in her shoes, I would blank you too now.
you were close friends for a long time
You bitched about her to others
It got back to her
She doesn't rate you as a friend any longer.
You are worried about others dropping you,
If you are a nice person, they probably won't,
If people hear that you bitch behind others back, they may think you would do that about them too, so ...... Adios.

NicNocJnr · 01/05/2012 16:31

To be fair to op there have been times when I've bitched about friends and their kids - sometimes with justified provocation sometimes when I've been unreasonable. Because I am a human person that sometimes has a bad day. I am fully expecting that the same happens about me and mine - because my friends are human too.

I feel it unreasonable to expect your friends and loved ones wont do things that rub you up the wrong way occasionally. BUT if you have to let off some steam to prevent yourself from brooding on it choose those listening ears very carefully. It's not ok to air those feelings in a public arena - off having a gossip in the kitchen at toddler group for eg.

OP is feeling terrible. ex friends kids may have been awful? Hitting, biting, bullying, obnoxious - whatever. Maybe not - we don't have all the info.

As mothers some of us are inclined to get precious about our special, special snowflakes and refuse to hear even the mildest of criticisms of their behaviour. I'm sure there is at least one example you all know- and the kid(s) are usually the bullies or bad boys of the playground. Mine are not the angelic little cherubs I like to think they are, they're learning to be people still, but I fell they're good 90% of the time. They are certainly kind and always try to do the right thing - but some mums don't parent like me and things I'm fine with might be seen as really rude by others and vice versa.

OP - resentment is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die - and you 'ain't keeled over yet. You are apologetic and feel ashamed of the situation, she doesn't want to know and is behaving really childishly (which is what lead me to belive she has snowflakes). You have approached to make amends and rather than saying 1) let's move on but... or 2) I'm sorry but I can't move on we're parting ways and civility only now she is mucking around with tactics most school girls are embarrassed by at 14. You can communicate in writing (text, msn, fb etc) and let her think when she isn't on the spot and if she's still not interested just go ahead with damage limitation with any friends that mention it/are affected by conflictng friendships with both of you - own up, take responsibility and explain your amends. Don't feel bad about everything if she has equally bad behaviour to reconcile! Your good friends will know your good character and accept your explaination - not going over old ground so they can get goss and pick sides! Just the ending and then - move on, older and wiser as they say. I also want to give you a friendly slap for getting all 'everybody hates me, I'm going down the garden to eat worms' anyone that 'hates you' then were they worth spending the energy on? Seriously the more you get exposed to other mothers at the school gates etc the more you feel sad for all the women that never grew up and left high school - their lives must be sad if they need the drama or they are just immature and will soon be tired of by others if they deal with everythig the same way they did at 13. Mature adults don't act like that and I don't want another teenager to deal with, it was pathetic enough at the time! Chin up chick xx

thebody · 01/05/2012 17:31

Think op meant dss as dear sisters not kids but I might be wrong

Op if u bitched about her then she wasnt your friend in
the first place

and if u must bitch choose carefully who u bitch with as you have been outed.

Be a nice friend and you will keep friends

Penguinface · 01/05/2012 22:09

NicNocJr, thanks so much for your wisdom and honesty. Thanks for taking the time to write such a long and kind post. You genuinely have made me feel a lot better Thanks Thanks also for the friendly slap Grin, consider me chastised!

I was also going to say genrally on the subject of bitching about friends, We all do it!!!! I can't think of one person ive met who has never made a comment about someone else, that could have been interpreted as bitching. It's not something I set out to do but i do think that sometimes it's better to rant/vent/get something off your chest innocently, rather than mess everything up just because you're temporarily p@@@ed off about something! (although Mummy did train me that if you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all!) I'm sure i've been bitched about (fairly f&**ing postive tbh!) but i just think it's part of life and i don't think i'd drop a froend over it unless it was really evil!

Thanks everyone for all the help, really appreciate it Thanks Am going to really make an effort to just stop thinking and worrying about this, focus on other friendships, as people have suggested and LEANR NOT TO BITCH ABOUT PEOPLE SO THEN YOU CAN'T GET FOUND OUT!

OP posts:
Bumdrop · 01/05/2012 22:18

Aww, something there for us all to think about,
Good on you penguin Wink
X x x

Penguinface · 01/05/2012 22:20

To quote Dr Sheldon Cooper, Bumdrop, sarcasm?

OP posts:
NicNocJnr · 01/05/2012 22:48

Lol, I'm very glad you're feeling better! And it was only a very little slap Grin.

It's so easy for things like this to really get to you- What I hate, but am also very guilty of, is wanting to know what happened, you find out and then feel aggrieved for whichever party - and that would be ok if it didn't mean it was constantly kept fresh and seething nicely.

We all do it. Most of us will find that being a bit indiscreet will bite us in the arse and then we find out if we were good friends that have something substantial worth forgiving and forgetting for or if we were actually just placeholders for each other. Everyone's just people and I find it hard to believe some people are as perfect as they make out! Some of the things I've said to DH would peel the paint off the walls - got it out of my system & was told to stop being a git or that it was bad but not worth popping an eyeball over or even this needs talking about like a big girl!

No, it's not nice to bitch or be bitched about but sometimes we actually need to hear it. And I defy anyone to be a perfectly poised grown up 24/7....how bally dull!

Bumdrop · 02/05/2012 11:49

No, not sarcasm, genuine.

Penguinface · 02/05/2012 12:43

OK, then Thanks

OP posts:
Penguinface · 02/05/2012 12:49

NicNocJr, insightful comments again Thanks

In this case, tbh and f, i was probably more in the wrong than her but like you say, perhaps we don't have anything substantial worth forgiving and forgeting for. I genuinely thought we did - so i think thats why I'm a lot more upset than she seems to be. It's a rejection of me and our friendship and it does feel like a break-up. But i really am trying to do waht people suggest - focus on my other friends and on abeing a good (better?) friend to them.

And yes, loose lips sink ships..and jobs...and friendships...and relationships...and for God's sake woman, haven't you learnt to keep it zipped by now!!!! Wink

OP posts:
NicNocJnr · 02/05/2012 18:01

Lmao - Indeed Penguin. Now if only people would stop giving me a reason to moan!!! Wink

My DH would find it endlessly entertaining I've been described as 'insightful', made me come over all coy! Thanks

Seriously it's really, really easy to say 'you are a terrible person for bitching I condemn you & place a plague upon your family to the nth generation' because the hard bit is actually not doing it - not talking about not doing it.

You've admitted you were in the wrong, held your hands up and feel awful & tried to apologise - if she's not in a place to hear that or doesnt think it's worth trying to move on with the friendship what else can you do? Now all that's happening is you are punishing yourself and causing your own unhappiness. It happened, it was regretable and if you could change it you would, but you can't. So chin up, conscience squared & put to bed and move on a bit more aware of how/what you say. Nowt else to be done. I've got memories that make me want to swallow my own fist in shame - but it stops me making the same thoughtless errors (usually). Equally I know there are people that think I have a grudge against them for bad behaviour - I don't, life's too short but I have chosen to keep more suited company. Have a coke and a smile!!

Penguinface · 03/05/2012 21:51

Well, Nic (can I call you Nic? Wink) if you keep on being insightful, I will have to keep Thanksing you! I really do appreciate your time and comments. Thanks Nd you can tell your DH that yes, some random woman who names herself after penguins thinks your insightful!!! Wink

Your summary was awesome - couldnt have summed it up better mysefl! It is actually where I am at now. Yes, bad things said and done but if we can't move on together, we have to move on alone. I do try to move on more aware after the too many times I have done this but in fairness, this is the fitrs time i've messed up this badly in years!

Just one thing (before I either go or PM you as this thread is echoing - it's juts you and me honeybunch!) - if there are people who think you hold a grudge, is it worth saying to them "Look, it's all water under the bridge and I don't bear you any ill will - I just don't think we're suited to be friends" if you want to take advice from me!

OP posts:
NicNocJnr · 04/05/2012 00:37

Hello..[echo] elloo, elloo, elooo

Is a bit lonely suddenly! DH had a chuckle, but there were so many Thanks he couldn't argue Smile

I think that's very good advice. If you can spread a little happiness and all that! I think I'm pretty square with people but I would hate to think people were making themselves feel bad on my behalf...and you'd know if you were on my hit list Wink

That's a good sentence I'll keep in reserve and try really hard to not have to use it! Grin

Penguinface · 06/05/2012 21:16

Update - really struggling again with this after Sat Sad

Bumped into a good friend and her two DC at a cafe in town after shopping and were in the que for lunch together when another friend and the one ive fallen out with joined us. We all know each other (and where all friends) and while my friend knew about the falling out (and obviously the friend I'd fallen out with did), the other friend didn't so we all ast down together like one big happy family. i'd told my good friend that I'd agreed with the friend I fell out with that we had agreed to be civil to each other, especially when with mutual friends.

BUT it was AWFUL. she wouldnt acknowledge me in any way, wouldnt smile or even make eye contact, would turn away slightly if I spoke, it was Awful. My good friend didn't really have chance to speak to me alone but she mist have sensed the atmosphere. I'm hurt and upset and angry for her and I'm so upset, it just opened up all the old wounds I was trying to heal. i cant believe someone who was my frind at Christmas cant even look at me now. I see her quite a bit and just dont know if i can take this horribleness for the rest of my life Sad

OP posts:
Noqontrol · 06/05/2012 21:27

Could you write to the friend that you have fallen out with and explain how you feel, and what a rubbish mistake you have made? Is she the sort of person who is likely to forgive if you were humble about it? It does seem such a shame if you were close once. Or do you think there's no way back from this now?

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