I live in a small place, kids all go to the same school etc. Not long after I moved here, another family did and we became friendly with them. Our daughters are great friends. We’ve been on holiday together. The other mum is very sociable, and now has a huge circle of friends. There is no one I’m friends with in this small place that isn’t also friends with her. She now has a tight friendship group that doesn’t include me. I think in the case of a couple of them they actively dislike me. Their husbands all play golf and drink together and that excludes my husband from their groups too. My friend is happy to spend time with me, but it now tends to be 1:1 only because I’m not included in that other friendship group. New people have moved into the village and been included.
the issue is that the thoughts of how rubbish I am and how unlikeable I am consume me. I wish I was more popular but I’m not. I sometimes don’t sleep because I’m thinking about it. How do I come to terms with it? I know I can’t control what other people do, and I can’t make people like me. I know there’s no rule that says people should invite me to things. I love my friend and I wouldn’t want to cut ties with her, plus it’s a small place etc as detailed above. Help?!