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Unresolvable fall out with friend, but don't completely understand why.

180 replies

SpoonSpoonSpoon · 15/12/2015 17:22

Would appreciate some views on this.

Have been friends with this person since I was ten. She was bridesmaid at my wedding, and godmother to my DC. Her dad offered to film my wedding this summer as a wedding present, we gratefully accepted, thanked him publicly at the wedding and privately. We didn't hear anything about the video for a while, which was not an issue, but relevant.

I miscarried a very much wanted baby two weeks after the wedding. We didn't know I was pregnant at the wedding, but this put a bitter edge to everything related to it. Friend knew this.

Then early November I miscarried again. It broke me. And physically had complications second time around.

Friend's dad messaged me whilst I was miscarrying with a link to YouTube with our wedding video. I wasn't in a place to view it, neither was DH, so I left it. A few hours after he sent the message, friend messages me asking why we hadn't looked at it yet. I explained what was going on, and said I hoped to look at it soon. She sent back what seemed to be an understanding text. At this point I say with high insight that I know I should have contacted him myself, but was in no place to speak to anyone really.

Two days later she uploaded it to Facebook, knowing we hadn't watched it, knowing why. I was getting messages from people about the video. DH and I were both upset, and I asked her to take it down, again explaining why. In response I got a nasty message saying I was being unappreciative and immature, that he hard worked really hard on it, and she was extremely disappointed in me. I didn't respond as was trying to look beyond one falling out, as well as still feeling like absolute crap.

A few days later she messaged pretty normally asking for ideas for DC Christmas. I was pretty much ignoring my phone at this point, so genuinely didn't see the message. So the next day I got a more impatient message. This time I did see it, and replied asking her to please leave me alone for now. To this she sent back a message about throwing away a friendship because I didn't know when to say thank you, and not to contact her again unless it was an apology.

The next day one of my other bridesmaids called me. Friend had contacted her saying she wanted ideas gir DC, but really it was just to bitch. She went as far as to ask whether she should set up a savings account for DC, as she thought I was being petty enough to throw away any gift she sent, and didn't know when she'd next be allowed to see DC. All of which seemed incredibly over the top.

Next morning I received a final message, which was so cruel and cutting I can't stand to look at it again to quote, then she deleted me, having made it very clear I wouldn't be hearing from her again.

I acknowledge - personally, to her, ands to her dad as well, in a message I sent him - that I should have told him personally I would view it when I could, but honestly I was a complete mess. I could just about pretend to function for DC, but the trauma on top of physical side of things... I wasn't thinking straight.

I'm very hurt by the way she has reacted, and it seems very over the top a reaction for me - when boiled down to it - not watching a video immediately.

Just wanted some opinions on things.

Thank you.

OP posts:
Duckdeamon · 15/12/2015 18:08

Friend has been massively unreasonable and insensitive. In your shoes I would end the friendship using the kind of letter a PP has suggested.

StrictlyMumDancing · 15/12/2015 18:12

Your xf is a twat. There's not much more to say. Some people cannot empathise for others. Bitter experience tells me that the worst part of this for you will be the raft of emotions that come with the sudden end of the friendship and the guilt you will feel that you've let this person be such a big part of your life. Don't beat yourself up over it. Anyone who has any decency will just hear miscarriage and understand. Flowers for your losses

MyFavouriteClintonisGeorge · 15/12/2015 18:14

i think there were probably various points at which you could have rescued things by communicating more clearly and kindly.

I don't see it like that at all. OP was in the grip of something that was both a medical crisis and a tragic bereavement, effectively. Anyone expecting priority over that for a favour is very selfish.

Joysmum · 15/12/2015 18:15

Did that, anyone who can't understand you both want to cut yourself off and regroup for a bit to recover emotionally is emotionally bereft.

It's not like you hadn't gone through the pain of explainatiins which would have been hard enough Sad

APlaceOnTheCouch · 15/12/2015 18:16

I'm not excusing her behaviour because it obviously added to your pain at an incredibly difficult time but if you had a long, solid friendship then I imagine she is probably quite bemused at what has happened.

I think she perceived you telling her to leave you alone as you ending the friendship. Nothing that was going on around the video was as important as what you were going through. For a good friend not to realise that would imply to me that she had other issues going on around the video whether it be her hassling her dad to finish it or other people asking them to hurry up so they could see it. I also think she contacted the other BM to try to find out what was going on and whether you were still open to having a friendship.

As for the video, I understand it was a present but the other people at the wedding were probably interested in seeing it and your friend might even have thought (erroneously) that watching yourselves on a happy day surrounded by loved ones could have brought you some comfort.

Only you know if she would have deliberately hurt you or if she consistently unthinkingly upsets people. If neither of those is true then she is probably confused at how this brought your friendship to an end.

Sorry for your losses Flowers

Iflyaway · 15/12/2015 18:16

Who the fuck offers to video your wedding and then without asking uploads it to youtube??!!

Did he even discuss that with you beforehand?

Personally, I would be incensed, and then to put it on FB too. Angry

No privacy at all. Very insensitive.

I'm so sorry for your losses.

OnlyLovers · 15/12/2015 18:18

YABU to place all the blame on others.

What a fucking horrible thing to say.

PitPatKitKat · 15/12/2015 18:18

Flowers Sorry for your loss.

I don't that you could or should get over her behaviour tbh. Agree with Strictly that some people feel no empathy for others. I've found generally it is better to learn this about them and steer clear.

Take care

hollieberrie · 15/12/2015 18:21

So sorry to hear this OP. Losing a friendship after such big losses must be devastating.

I fell out with a really good friend after the sudden death of my mum last year. I behaved in a way that was probably not very calm and sensible (looking back) but i felt she should have made allowances as i was going through such an emotional turmoil. Sadly we werent able to fix things and are no longer friends. It still hurts but i've made peace with it now.

She probably doesnt really understand the devastating loss you must have felt / still be feeling and how much trauma you were going through. I know with the loss of my mum it was pain like i had never felt before and i totally fell apart. I felt like many of friends just didnt get it at all. I think its only when you suffer a great loss yourself that you can relate and maybe she hasnt had that kind of experience.

If i was you, i'd leave it for now but maybe send a card to her dad as a previous poster has suggested. Thanking him and saying sorry for not responding earlier but it was a very difficult time (i don't think you have to go into much detail).

Flowers for you. The fact that you are so upset shows that you are a kind and caring person and I'm sure deep down she knows that, maybe she'll come round.

lorelei9 · 15/12/2015 18:21

PlaceontheCouch - bizarre. if you think a video will offer some comfort, you gently suggest someone watch it, not stick it on youtube or Facebook.

genuinely baffled at some of the responses here.

APlaceOnTheCouch · 15/12/2015 18:26

lorelei9 I read it as though the youtube link was sent to OP so although it was uploaded to youtube, I assumed it was on private settings. Likewise with the facebook posting - that it was a group for the wedding. It just seems very odd to me that someone who had been a friend for so long would deliberately upset the OP so I was just casting around for possible reasons for her actions. If, however, as I said in my post, she has form for being insensitive, selfish and deliberately hurting people then that's different.

AngelOnTop · 15/12/2015 18:28

YANBU in any way, shape or form @ the OP! I can't believe anyone would suggest you have done anything wrong!?

If a friend (or ANYONE) texted me to say they were having a miscarriage and really couldn't talk or make arrangements about a wedding video (or bloody anything!) I cannot imagine any reasonable response other than to say 'I am so sorry - please get in touch when you feel ready'.

Your 'friend' has behaved atrociously. I'm so sorry for your miscarriages, and that your friend has let you down so badly Sad.

annandale · 15/12/2015 18:30

I'm just amazed at your friend's reaction. I shouldn't be, because I can be incredibly clumsy with friends and lost one from a not dissimilar sequence of events that is too embarrassing to recall. However, I know that if a friend told me she'd had a miscarriage I would be mortified to think I'd intruded on her.

To me this shows that texting is an incredibly easy medium to fall out over. It's as immediate as speech, as permanent as a letter and carries no emotional info at all. Treat this all like a daft row. Let the dust settle, and if you would like to contact her in a while, send a card saying you miss her, or give her a ring. If you are too hurt (and I wouldn't blame you) then just let it lie.

lorelei9 · 15/12/2015 18:31

APlaceonthecouch - OP said "Two days later she uploaded it to Facebook, knowing we hadn't watched it, knowing why"

it appals me (I always feel that word needs 2 x ll) that someone would do this, knowing what the OP had been through, knowing that she had not looked at it, felt unable to, and would then upload it to Facebook for others to see and know that they would likely get in touch with OP about it. It beggars belief.

it may not be that the friend is deliberately hurting OP - in fact, I am quite sure she won't be. But even if it's just a humungous (sp?) lack of consideration, to me that is still enough reason to drop her. Lack of consideration tells you a lot about a person. Some people aren't wired to be that unthinking and unfeeling and I'd rather hang with them, thank you!

VagueIdeas · 15/12/2015 18:32

I can see both sides, really. Your friend and her dad was obviously expecting you to be delighted, but due to your awful circumstances they felt ignored and hurt. Not your fault, of course, but seeing things entirely from their side, I can see why she was upset too.

Uploading the video to FB was totally thoughtless (again, seeking praise for her dad's hard work and nice gift) and it must have been very hurtful for you to ask them to take it down. Again, I totally understand why you did that - you just weren't in a place to have that video in your face and have loads of people chattering about it. But it must have been a horrible thing for your friend and her dad to hear.

And then the texts about Christmas... I'm sure you were feeling sick of her hassling you about one thing and another, and that's why you were terse with her, but from her (again quite thoughtless) perspective, she's been on the receiving end of enough rejection from you.

So - she was in the wrong, she should have been more understanding, but I can see why she feels hurt personally, and also upset that her dad's work has been (to her mind) wasted.

mmmuffins · 15/12/2015 18:33

Your friend has behaved awfully. The crux of the issue seems to be that she does not see that a miscarriage was a traumatic event for you. Very weird.

Enoughalreadyyou · 15/12/2015 18:33

All I'm saying is is that the wedding was obviously a happy occasion and OP chose to see it in an unhappy way because of her subsequent loss but not everyone will see it that way. And of course I'm sorry for her loss. I'm just being realistic about the expectations of others.
Friend should have taken into account what had happened but didn't relate to the video in the same way. She had no need to be sending nasty texts I agree.
It's such a shame it escalated but friend felt shut out and unappreciated and then acted terribly. Is there no way to resolve it?

SilverShins · 15/12/2015 18:34

Spoon I'm astonished that such a close friend couldn't back off while you and you're new husband tried to get your heads straight. Yes, I can see that she's invested because it's her dad's work. But it should have been clear it wasn't a personal slight.

Take care of yourself, you're going through so much already. You don't need to carry around someone else's shit.

I sincerely hope your health improves soon and you can focus on yourself and your family. Flowers

BipBippadotta · 15/12/2015 18:35

YANBU. It was your mate's dad's video, but it was your wedding, your event, images of you and your family, which nobody should share without your consent, and which they should certainly take down when you ask. Your friend sounds like a nutjob drama queen.

I am baffled by a pp's idea that a wedding is the emotional property of the other guests to the same extent as the couple getting married. I would be freaked the fuck out to think that people were so emotionally invested in my wedding they needed to see the video immediately, whether I'd seen it or not!!

Miscarriages are awful, Spoons. Sometimes people just don't understand how awful. YANBU at all. I am so sorry for your losses Flowers.

franklyidontgiveadamscarlet · 15/12/2015 18:37

Your ex friend is a bitch no empathy what so ever.
Who puts videos up on youtube and hounds you about this all.
We outgrow people in our life and that's a good thing.
It takes a long time if ever to get over a ms.
So look after yourself op.

howtorebuild · 15/12/2015 18:39

Sometimes people just don't understand how awful.

I have no clue so maybe that's why I am not blinkered and can see both sides. Possibly like the friend, sympathetic to op and mystified why op reacted as she did. I also don't react to grief the way the op does, so again, it's mystifying why someone would react that way towards me if I and a family member spent hours creating something happy for them.

lorelei9 · 15/12/2015 18:42

howtorebuild "I have no clue so maybe that's why I am not blinkered and can see both sides"

FFS, are you really saying you can't have sympathy for something unless it's happened to you?! This is astonishing to me. Yes, everyone reacts differently, once OP said she didn't want to look at the video that should have been the end of it until she was ready to do so. We don't have to have identical experiences and views to understand this - how would we ever look after friends in need if that were the case? I don't need to experience every terrible thing in order to feel huge sympathy for the person and let them do what they need to do.

howtorebuild · 15/12/2015 18:43

No you are saying that.

Besom · 15/12/2015 18:45

Sorry op mcs are such an awful sad thing to have to go through.

Friend for some reason is prioritising her father's much less important needs over yours, and she getting very worked up about it. What is that all about? Does she have form for anything like this? It seems so unreasonable that she is either a massive arsehole and what did op ever see in her anyway. Or there is something we're missing.

lorelei9 · 15/12/2015 18:46

howtorebuild "I have no clue so maybe that's why I am not blinkered and can see both sides."

these are your words, not mine. I have no clue about miscarriage if you look at it that way - but I can't see both sides.