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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

AIBU to be wondering if this would be a pattern for life with this friend?

8 replies

ALittleFedUp · 27/02/2013 10:13

I have a really good friend, although I feel we are drifting a little at the moment and I am wondering how much energy I want to 'invest' in the friendship anymore. Our DDs used to be good friends but they don't really see each other anymore.

Ultimately I am slightly fed up. She complains that she never has enough time but she constantly fills her time up with activites. Some can't be helped but some can. Her DF (fiance not friend) gets fed up with the amount of their free time that she plans things, weekends can all be booked for up to 2 months at a time. She complains a lot about not having time for this and that but I am a little fed up of hearing it now. It seems to be the same excuses all the time and I think it is just how she is. It has been 6 years of friendship (we met at NCT, have older DDs the same age and younger DS's of similar age) and nothing changes.

I had a significant birthday last year and she was making me a present (it was suppose to be a surprise but it took so long she had to tell me). I got it 10 months after my birthday! It is something that takes a couple of hours to do.

A couple of years ago we planned a dinner party between us. She was hosting but I was suppose to be sorting out the details as she didn't have time. However trying to pin her down to sort out things was a nightmare as she was always too busy to think about it. I had other people who were involved wanting to know what they were doing and they kept asking me as they needed to know but I never knew. I ended up saying "do this" to friends who asked then the host said she didn't want that and we had to change things. On the actual day, I felt really ill. I knew I couldn't pull out but I made her aware that I felt dreadful and I couldn't have a late night. She had had yet another crazy day and wasn't going to rush (this was suppose to be a celebration for me, just at her house as it was bigger). When I arrived she was clearly pissed at me and didn't even speak to me for a while so I sat awkwardly in her house feeling out of place. She later said that I upset her because she went to so much effort and I apologised profusely but I was feeling rough and that didn't seem to matter because of the effort that she went to when she was so busy. It was coming up to midnight and we STILL hadn't had the last course and I was struggling to stay awake and I had to drive home when I said I needed to leave but she announced in front of everyone that I couldn't because someone specifically bought something for me and I had to eat it. When I did eventually get to go she said "I couldn't let you leave without eating it" I felt like shit and felt like everyone was looking at me, which they were. I know it was a while ago but it seems like she does things, I want to know details, shes too busy and if I am not always available or am ill then she gets out put and I am the one apologising.

This seems to be getting a pattern. I am trying to be supportive at the moment as she is going through a rough patch but I don't get replies, becoming a common theme, as she is too busy to reply. She likes to get together when we can but it is getting increasingly obvious that this is few and far between. Although she wants us to remain good friends, I feel that I am waiting around for her to be less busy, which I don't see happening and I don't feel like I want to just keep waiting for her to slot me in when she can. I had this with previous friends and it got on my nerves.

There is more but I feel I have gone on long enough!

AIBU to be feeling fed up and like I am hanging around waiting for her to have free time or am I being a bit of a cow and should be being more supportive when she is stressed a lot? Genuinely don't know. Smile

OP posts:
YouTheCat · 27/02/2013 10:18

She's using 'being soooo busy' as an excuse to dump the lion's share of thought and work on to you by the sounds of it.

If she wants to organise anything in the future, don't help. Leave her to it.

She is stressed because she makes it so not because she has anything more important going on than anyone else.

PessaryPam · 27/02/2013 10:21

She isn't making you happy is she ALittle. I think you have tried hard enough so it's time to walk away and put some distance between yourselves.

ALittleFedUp · 27/02/2013 10:30

See I am just so confused as we were/are good friends, she is great at putting things into perspective for me and she reads me and knows me very well. I just feel like I am wating around for her a lot and I'm not sure if thats the sort of friendship I want, although I don't feel like I want to 'dump' her but I am also not a part time person who is always there when it is convenient to her.

I also do feel that the stresses she has are things that are 'self made' IYSWIM, not things that happen that she has no control over so you are right about that Cat.

OP posts:
DolomitesDonkey · 27/02/2013 10:34

There's a difference between being busy and being a disorganised wreck.

ALittleFedUp · 27/02/2013 16:04

She prides herself on being very organised. I think she is slightly blinkered, she's always running late but you can't tell her that, she gets a bit touchy as she always has a reason.

OP posts:
LisasCat · 27/02/2013 16:19

I'm your friend. Well, not really (I don't think, err, might have to check your profile to be sure!). But you've just described me to a tee. I'm always busy of my own making, I take on loads of extra stuff which pisses DP right off, then I drop some of the balls because I'm juggling too much. I'm a crap friend because I'm rubbish at answering my phone, replying to messages, fixing a date in the calendar, etc. But I think they all understand it's not personal, it's the way I am, I like getting involved in stuff even if I don't have the time. But if they're in trouble I drop everything.

What would your friend do if you were in a real spot? That's where you'll find your answer.

JamieandtheMagicTorch · 27/02/2013 16:29

I am trying to put myself in your shoes, and see how upset you might be at the idea of withdrawing from the friendship. But i think that is what I would do. It shouldn't be such hard work.

From how you describe her she sounds quite highly strung - keeping busy to feel important, but not really being honest about her anxieties or herself. I think in those circumstances, it is hard to have an equal relationship.

bumperella · 27/02/2013 18:36

I would not do any joint stuff with her - parties or events etc involving organisation; it's just going to cause stress and ill-will for no good purpose.
I would also work on broadening yr social circle etc - so you have freinds and hobbies and don't feel like you're forever waiting around for her convenience.
Can you contact her less and wait for her to suggest things to you instead?
Can you speak to her and explain that her being too busy for you all the time is something you find belittling and a bit insulting?
It's a tricky one but in your shoes I'd feel a bit like she should either make time for you (and her other freinds/family) by dropping some activities, or accept that she is too busy to maintain her relationship with you.

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