A.M. asks from Brenham, TX on April 28, 2010
I Need Some Advice - Brenham,TX
Ok so I know this will be long...
I have been friends with this girl since her freshman year. It's been 4 years I have been friends with her. She is 17 and I am 19. We were the only friends who moved to the same town. I have 2 kids and she has one (newborn). We both got pregnat at 16, she is still in school and I graduated 2 years ago. I married my high school sweet heart and her babies father left her and is a complete jerk, not that I tell her everyday that he is. We have talked about that but thats another story. I have been there and helped her so much. I have given so much to our friendship and love her company. I have lent her so much stuff and told her what all she need to do to get help with her being in high school. I also got a job last week.
Now the problem... the past couple weeks she has seemed diffrent to me. i thought everything was fine between us and we were still hanging out and going to the park. She calls me her big sis and I call her my lil sis. She kinda has been ignoring me and just pushing me away. Then last night her mom IM's me on facebook and tells me I better come pick up the maternity clothes I lent her. Her mom was using all caps and being, in my opinion, just plain rude. Then today we ran into each other and I kinda ignored them bc they just left some of my maternity clothes in a box on the front porch and told me if I didn't come get them they were getting rid of them. When someone asked me about her, right in front of her, I said she was right behind me and she and her mom started mumbiling. She still has a couple other thing of mine and if our friendship is over then I would like them back. I tried to call, but she never answered. I sent her one email asking her where the other clothes were, bc they had been complaining about them and I was going to store them. Then later today about an hour ago I sent her an email saying I was sorry about whatever I had done to upset her. I told her how much I valued our friendship and that I still wanted to be friends and again repeated I was really sorry!
I don't know what to do... I thought we were real good friends, but she won't even talk to me...
Questions:
1)What do I do about our friendship?
2)If our friendship is over how should I ask for my stuff back?
I have gotten great advice from this site and know I ask a lot of questions, but I love hearing others opinions. If our friendship is not over I don't mind her using the stuff I lent, but if it is I really would like it back. I really have done a lot for her and her family and I am feeling a tad bit used bc it feels once I am not needed they just push me out. Thanks in advance for all advice!
Clarify... I don't want my stuff back until she is done using it if we are still friends. However, I do have things there that I lent and told her I wanted back. The clothes don't bother me its how I was told I had better come pick them up and she didn't even give me all of them back! Honestly I told her the ones that were my newer ones would be stored in case I got prego again, but the rest I was going to give to someone who needs them. I don't mind about the clothes honestly. The other things are small and if I don't get them back its not a big deal, I would just like them back bc I still use them... I have done nothing to her and everyone who sees us knows that.
So What Happened?™
Thanks everyone for the advice! I am not co-dependent I just like having someone around who knows what its like to be a young mom! The only thing I can think I said that could have made her mad was I told her that the baby had thrush and she refused to believe me saying there was no way. When she called the doc he said it was thrush thats why she wouldn't take her bottle! I have other friends, but no mommy friends here so it was nice. If I don't get the stuff back it won't make me mad, and I know there is always someone who tends to keep things that are not theirs! I think I will go visit her when her mom is no there so it is just me and her and I can find out if I did something wrong. She won't include my hubby, bc frankly she NEVER speaks to him. He never really could stand her just felt she was using me. I am a sucker to helpp anyone who needs it... If I find out she doesnt want to be friends well then I guess thats her loss and I will just have to find another mommy to go to the park and let the kids play :) BTW I kinda figured her mom blames me for her daughters pregnancy even though I was no where near them or even taking to her at that time due to having problems with my pregnancy. Thanks again! :)
More Answers
V.S. answers from Los Angeles on April 28, 2010
I’m sorry you’re going through this. Your friend sounds a bit immature and honestly, you can’t force the friendship. Although to me it seems from what you’ve said that it’s very one sided (you do a lot for her, loan her your things, etc) Do you really want a friend that takes advantage of you and is only around when she needs something from you? Maybe she’s pushing you away because she’s envious that you graduated from high school, are still married and have a job? It sounds important to you to figure out why she is avoiding you so maybe go to her house when you know she is there and talk to her but don’t be confrontational. If she is not willing to talk, just ask for your stuff and be on your way. Make new friends, real friends.
Your children need you too much for you to be worrying about what is going on with her one day to the next. You sound like a wonderful person! Don’t let this one person make you think otherwise! Here's a good quote for you:
"Never make a person a priority in your life, while allowing them to make you an option in theirs"
Best of luck!
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J.L. answers from Minneapolis on April 28, 2010
To be honest, I'd say the relationship has run it's course. Let her go her own way. It sounds like she is a controller and now that you have a job, she's not happy about it. Not healthy, I say. This is emotional blackmail. If you were to patch things up, next time it would be something else in your life that doesn't involve her, and that she can't control, that will make her angry with no explanation. Who needs that?
I say cut your losses and move on. Besides, it's very ominous that mom would bully an adult friend of her daughter's. She/they both sound like they might have a loose tube. What's next?
As for the clothes, just consider them gone. She's probably going to keep them regardless of what would have happened.
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J.B. answers from Houston on April 29, 2010
I had something like this happen as well. I helped my friend so much and one day she just cut me off. I called her several times to see what was up and when she finally took my call she told me there was nothing wrong. Then I find out she talked to my MIL behind my back and said she was mad at me bc I never followed her advice. I was floored! I mean after all the good I had done for her she could get mad enough to stop talking to me over something like that and not even have the decency to talk to me about it when I asked her repeatedly what was up. So, you may never really find out why she is acting this way. Her life was not going as well as mine at that moment and I felt like she resented me and just used some lame reason to get mad a pull away. It kind of sounds like that to me with your friend. You are both young mothers, but you are married and she is a single mommy. She may be overwhelmed and angry about her situation and taking it out on you. If she won't communicate with you, there isn' t a whole lot you can do about it. Maybe just text her that you will come by and get your things and tell her a specific time unless she wants to bring them by. I will say that I lent out some of my newest, cutest stuff to a girlfriend and then she moved and got prego again shortly before I did so I never got some of my best stuff back. That is just an FYI, often times once you lend something, you don't get it back even with a good friend so just make sure when you do lend something you are ok if you don't get it back in the end. But I really hope you do, bc I know that stuff isn't cheap! I still deal with my situation as our husband's are cousins and my FIL is her husbands uncle. But now she just tolerates me and I had to let her go and just not worry about our kids growing up together etc. It really hurt but I am fine now, I just grieved the relationship and moved on. I know she may have had a side but since she refused to communicate, we couldn't resolve it. Best wishes and just focus on loving your babies and getting on with your life. Take care:)
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J.C. answers from Anchorage on April 28, 2010
I would go to her at a time you know she will be home and ask to talk. Tell her your concerns in a non accusatory way (as in "I have been feeling", not "you have been doing" way). If it turns out the friendship is no longer something she wants, then I would just let her know that you will miss the friendship, but since you are there you will go ahead and collect any items so that you can save her the trouble of having to see you again.
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L.L. answers from College Station on April 29, 2010
Hi A.. Good for you for getting on with your life. It sounds like your friend hasn't. It also sounds as if it is a huge dose of jealousy. She just can't see the path to get on with her life. I think she may have told her mother some fibs and that is why you are being treated like you are. Get on with your life and enjoy it. Good luck.
L.
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N.S. answers from Philadelphia on April 28, 2010
I think you did a good thing in trying to reach out with that e-mail. But, you apologized without even asking what she was upset about. If you get the chance (and I am sure the chance will come), and you see her in person, ask her what made her so mad. (It's just another way of showing you care.) In the meantime, realize , her reaction is so strong, she must not be able to handle her own feelings. it is very possible you haven't done ANYTHING wrong. But right now, you will have to be patient with her.
If your friendship is over ( and I think it will take a while to find out if that is definite, because a friendship is worth being patient for), I don't know why you need your stuff back. Usually "getting your stuff back" is just an excuse to go over to someone's house and try to clear the air. If you want to get the stuff back to help yourself feel better about possibly being used...well, just make sure that that will really help heal your wounds and be ready for the fact that your stuff will probably just be in a box on the porch.
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J.K. answers from Phoenix on April 28, 2010
I would just be up front with her and let her know again how much you care for her and value your friendship. But say that if she wants, you can go ahead and pick up your stuff. I'd be honest but if nothing comes from it, I'd let it go. Go your separate ways. She is awfully young and is very immature. It sounds like her mom is immature also. Hopefully, she will grow up and see how much she is taking you for granted. Good luck to you and congratulations!
K.M. answers from Boston on April 28, 2010
I suggest you just step back. It sounds like she is jealous and also not mature enough to handle her life without her (unhelpful) mother. If she is being irrational, maybe when she cools off she will come to you and apologize or just pretend nothing ever happened. Beware the latter case, as that's perhaps a sign it could happen again.
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