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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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To be angry my best friend is emigrating?

450 replies

rainbowdreamer0 · 06/01/2020 07:06

A bit of background - my best friend and I met at nursery school over 30 years ago. She is basically a sister to me and we have been through everything together. It’s hard to put into words how close we are - we chat every day without fail and see each other all the time despite not living in the same city anymore. We’ve been on countless trips and holidays and we’ve been there for each other at the drop of a hat numerous times. She is genuinely more like family to me than a friend, and as I don’t have any siblings she is the sister I never had. I don’t have anyone else I can rely on in the same way as her.

She met an Aussie a few years ago and mentioned they might emigrate at some point. I didn’t take it well and told her I thought it was pretty selfish as her parents are elderly and she’s an only child. We had a bit of a row about it and the topic has never come up since.

Fast forward to now - I’m 7 months pregnant (due in early March, hormones pretty crazy at the moment) and I had a call last night to say she and her husband are moving to Oz at the end of the month and she has a work visa initially for a short period but the likelihood is that she won’t be coming back. I want to be a good friend and supportive but I feel really hurt that she has kept this all from me until now, and also that she is leaving just weeks before my baby is due. I had always imagined our kids growing up together as we did and I find the thought of her moving absolutely devastating. I have been up all night crying and feel physically sick. I feel angry that she is choosing to leave at a time when she knows I will really need her. It’s like she doesn’t give a toss about me anymore. AIBU to be angry at how she’s handled this and the fact she is leaving just weeks before the baby is born?

OP posts:
GiveHerHellFromUs · 06/01/2020 09:58

@rainbowdreamer0 so if they are in their mid 70s should she put her life on hold for another 20 years?

Strongmummy · 06/01/2020 09:59

You are in shock and thinking/behaving irrationally because of it. Pregnancy hormones won’t help. You know this already tho.

Give yourself time to get over the shock before you contact her again and say something daft/you’ll regret.

It’s her life and she’s not beholden to you, and vice versa. Use this opportunity to focus on your baby and find a more diverse friendship group

Chamomileteaplease · 06/01/2020 10:01

Would it help knowing why she has made this huge decision? It does seem a bit strange if as you say, she hates his family and she is much closer to her family than he is to his. Do they think they will have a better quality of life?

It may be that it doesn't work out for them and she comes back so don't lose hope!

I do think posters are being somewhat disingenuous to suggest that you are making a fuss because you can visit! A return flight to Australia is not cheap, nor is a three week holiday easy to fit into work and family life.

Anyway OP, do try and support her, she is going to need you when the reality of the move hits her. She will remember what a support you were and hopefully you can fashion some new friendship out of the new circumstances.

rainbowdreamer0 · 06/01/2020 10:01

@JosefKeller I have not said I think she should stay for me so please don’t misunderstand. I want her to be happy but I am still in a state of shock and coming to terms with it. I will admit that I would have loved her to be here for the baby and for the christening etc but clearly that isn’t going to happen and I’m going to have to deal with it.

@FreedomfromPE sorry but that is just utter nonsense and you have no right to judge an entire friendship on a few posts.

OP posts:
FrancisCrawford · 06/01/2020 10:02

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

rainbowdreamer0 · 06/01/2020 10:03

@GiveHerHellFromUs please read what I said in my post about their age. I’m not sure how many times I have to say I regret what I said and it’s a very personal decision.

OP posts:
FrancisCrawford · 06/01/2020 10:06

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

heartsonacake · 06/01/2020 10:06

You keep saying you regret what you said, but you’re still making her feel bad about moving now. Telling her you’re devastated? Texting her in the middle of the night?

It’s too much, it’s too intense.

If you feel devastated you keep that in while telling her you’re happy for her. You don’t make her feel bad for her choices, which is what you’re still doing.

Having an honest relationship does not mean you have to tell the other person absolutely everything you’re thinking and feeling.

rainbowdreamer0 · 06/01/2020 10:07

@Soundbyte it’s lovely to hear you’re still in touch and able to maintain a relationship with your bf and it gives me hope that we will do the same.

I did not show any upset on the phone, I said I was happy for her and wished her well but needed some time to get my head around it. You’re entitled to your opinion as to my reaction.

OP posts:
Willow2017 · 06/01/2020 10:08

It may be that it doesn't work out for them and she comes back so don't lose hope!

What a crap thing to say!
Basically op.should hope her friend has a bad time and come back.so she can be there for her every day again?
That is as bad as op.was in first instance her friend mentioned it.

Winterinthecity · 06/01/2020 10:11

I'm not sure how I'd feel to be honest but it's her life and not yours!

I had a similar situation a few years ago where I met and got engaged to someone on another continent - not as far as Australia - I'd have hoped my best friend would be happy for me. Another close friend emigrated to Canada after meeting a man almost 10 years ago now, uprooted her then 10 year old DD but has now married and has 2 young sons with him. I miss her but see her when she returns to UK and we facetime, messenger etc when possible.

CmdrCressidaDuck · 06/01/2020 10:11

When my sister left it was like a death, though worse in some ways as it was someone choosing not to be part of any family celebrations again.

...I'm not often left completely speechless on here, but this did it. Holy... Wow. Someone starting a new, exciting and hopefully happy life in another country, someone you can still visit and talk to, is worse than if they'd died.

Wow.

PollyPelargonium52 · 06/01/2020 10:12

Whatsapp will help you stay in contact.

It is a bit unfair on her elderly parents but she should be free to live where she pleases other than that.

rainbowdreamer0 · 06/01/2020 10:12

@Strongmummy thank you, I’m not going to make the mistake of saying something in the heat of the moment again. I don’t want to lose our friendship.

OP posts:
Strongmummy · 06/01/2020 10:16

@rainbowdreamer0 I think you sound very sensible, you’re just hurting. You may even need to give yourself time to grieve. You’ll be fine and your friendship will be fine. It will just be different

rainbowdreamer0 · 06/01/2020 10:17

@Chamomileteaplease yes I think it would be good to sit down and calmly try and talk it over because it does seem a bit odd given how she feels about his family, but I fully accept that the decision has been made. Who knows what the future will bring. I hope she makes a success of it and that she’s happy, but it doesn’t mean I won’t miss her.

OP posts:
73Sunglasslover · 06/01/2020 10:18

*...I'm not often left completely speechless on here, but this did it. Holy... Wow. Someone starting a new, exciting and hopefully happy life in another country, someone you can still visit and talk to, is worse than if they'd died.

Wow.*

What on earth makes you assume I can visit?

rainbowdreamer0 · 06/01/2020 10:19

@FrancisCrawford if you consider that one comment made in the heat of the moment 4 years ago means I’m a terrible friend then you must have very high standards and be some kind of saint.

OP posts:
Wineislifex · 06/01/2020 10:20

You sound very very intense and if you try guilt trip her by saying things you’ve put in your OP I think you could damage the friendship.
Try to take a step back, deep breath, realise it’s not about you, smile and be happy for your friend.

alwayscrashinginthesamecar1 · 06/01/2020 10:20

To the person who said their sister leaving was worse than a bereavement, are you for real? My MIL has a dead daughter, and a son who emigrated, the two things are absolutely not equivalent and I am horrified that you would say such a thing, and so would my MIL.

TheSoapyFrog · 06/01/2020 10:20

My best friend emigrated to Canada to be with a Canadian man she met on holiday when I was pregnant. I miss her desperately, but my own selfish reasons are completely overridden by the fact she is happy and that is the most important thing to me.

Willow2017 · 06/01/2020 10:21

OP.you said you told her this
i also said that I would be lying if I said I wasn’t devastated

Now you are saying
but needed some time to get my head around it.
They are entirely different and both are all about you not her.

It's like saying yes it's great but .this is how it affects me so you.should think.about that not yourself.

rainbowdreamer0 · 06/01/2020 10:24

@TheSoapyFrog I hope you manage to stay in touch as much as possible.

OP posts:
CmdrCressidaDuck · 06/01/2020 10:24

What on earth makes you assume I can visit?

What does it matter whether you can visit or not?

You've quite literally said you'd rather your sister was dead than happy in another country you can't visit.

73Sunglasslover · 06/01/2020 10:25

To the person who said their sister leaving was worse than a bereavement, are you for real? My MIL has a dead daughter, and a son who emigrated, the two things are absolutely not equivalent and I am horrified that you would say such a thing, and so would my MIL.

That was me. I did not say it was worse, I said worse in some ways. Perhaps I expressed. I'd choose emigration over death for a family/ friend/ anyone at all times. But there are some similarities in terms of what we will never do together again and the 'worse in some ways' is because I know that my sister was choosing not to be part of things anymore. I think the quality of the relationship probably affects how that pans out and feels and she has also chosen not to keep in touch on the phone. I kept my feelings to myself BTW, well discussed them with my OH and my best friend. I am not ramming my sadness down her throat when we do have any contact.