The Covid-19 Perspective: Sometimes Even a Long Friendship Has to End
I have a friend who has never been happily married, for as long as I’ve known her, for going on thirty-six years. We were once the closest of friends — like sisters, even. But, a mountain of anger has risen between us: she dislikes her spouse intensely and always has. Although she is happy enough in her career and has successfully raised her three children, her marital distress colors every aspect of her personality and her relations with others — including me.
For decades, I’ve been listened to her tales of woe, giving advice only when asked, and only occasionally encouraged her to see his point of view. (I mean, the man has committed to going to relationship counseling, for thirteen years — while my own former spouse wouldn’t agree to go once.) But … I’ve reached my limit.
Yesterday I received another rant in the form of a text. Her life sucks and as usual, it’s ALL HIS FAULT. She didn’t even ask about me. She didn’t ask if I felt safe with the rampant pandemic of Covid-19 in my state and hers. She didn’t ask about my kids, or how it feels to go through a fucking pandemic completely alone, thousands of miles away from my closest friends, and my kids. She didn’t ask how I feel about the fact that my ex-husband is quarantining with his new wife on their new ranch, near Yellowstone — while I’m…
