Separation

A close friend and her husband have come to the realisation that they would be better suited to living separate lives. How dare they! Do they not realise they have thrown me into a huge quandary?

Before the separation my friend and I were in a nice routine of meeting for lunch and a tour of our favourite shops. We were comfortable with each other and familiar with our mutual likes and dislikes. I was able to compartmentalise our relationship quite neatly thank you into my week.

So what has changed? Well for instance my friend, who has always to my knowledge been a very together person with strong opinions and in control of her life, is now quite fragile. I am disconcerted as I sit still and listen to her vulnerability coated in aggressive language. The husband has taken on the persona of evil bully and she wants all her friends to know it and be in total agreement with her.

It's so sad, I think, as I receive yet another diatribe over lunch. How does a marriage get to become two people tearing each other verbally apart.? Where has the love which cushions us during the good and bad times disappeared?

I try for sympathetic responses and try to steer the conversation into other channels. For now my friend wants to hold onto her anger seeking perhaps strength because she knows the other emotion she is hiding is grief.