I reached out to my friends yesterday. Turns out they have been together since last Saturday. I had no idea it was a week long trip.
They sent me pictures (at my request). Everyone smiling and having a great time. Children sharing chairs. Adults sharing drinks.
They all have this shared experience that I don’t have. They all know each other’s children and families, and they do not know mine. I do not know theirs.
It makes me sad.
Hope you told them you wished you could have been with them. It is ok to say you hope another time you and yours will be able to be there too, that you miss them.
It IS hard.
My college friends have done this a couple times. Both times, they made plans last-minute and I just didn’t have time to save up and work it into my budget. They understood, and I wasn’t upset with them for planning things I couldn’t go to. But it was sad. I haven’t seen most of them in a long time.
Sigh. Such a bummer to be on the outside.