Due to my previous life of travelling I've seen friends come and go. Because of this I have always treasured my friends and made an effort to keep in contact and see them. This particular one I've known for 36 years, we met when our first children were tiny babies. We had a lot in common and instantly formed a good relationship. She does own to being a 'bad friend' and for this reason she has no close women friends as she simply doesn't make an effort. If you go to see her, or phone her, she is always delighted to see you but never visits or phones. However, if I don't visit or phone for ages and finally give in she asks where on earth have I been? I say you could contact me, but that remark seems to fall on stony ground. My son has had two children and didn't receive a card let alone a gift. Whereas when her 2 girls had babies I did send gifts/cards. Her oldest daughter is a lovely girl and does send cards/gifts etc. - she is the one that stays in touch. I went up to stay with DS and MIL when their 2nd baby was imminent and made the effort to cross southwest London to north London to see my friend. It was the oddest visit - I had to traipse around a garden centre, Tesco and somewhere else without even a cup of tea or a meal. As I was asked to be there for 11.30 I assumed lunch was on the cards. As our baby was slightly over due I was anxious to leave and finally did at 5pm she was most put out. I was exhausted and starving, had had a cup of tea but nothing to eat, when my son picked me up at the station my remark was 'never again'. As usual I haven't heard a word, nothing for our new baby just a Xmas card.Should I perhaps get the message and give up on this one sided relationship? I have lots of other friends, I'm not desperate it's just we'd know each other as young women.
