"I have a casual acquaintance, Stacy, who long ago moved to a different part of the country and sends me a message every couple of months. She's not a friend I would ever think to visit or even call on the phone, and she apparently feels the same about me. Stacy writes that she wants to keep in touch, yet her messages contain nothing more than a greeting followed by a perfunctory response, like been busy, when I ask what she's been up to."
"We come from a large family, and both of us are estranged from our mothers (who are sisters) as well as our siblings. We're OK with this because we have no room for toxic people in our lives. Recently, Carly has fallen on hard times a bitter divorce and a failed business. She lost one son in a terrible accident and the other to drugs and alcohol."
A woman receives recurring perfunctory messages from a casual acquaintance, Stacy, who lives in another part of the country and sends brief greetings without personal interest or reciprocal details. The messages typically include a greeting and a perfunctory "been busy" when asked about activities. The woman stopped sharing personal updates because Stacy did not acknowledge or reciprocate. It would not be rude to stop responding to such blanket messages. Another woman describes her cousin Carly, estranged from their mothers and siblings, who has suffered a bitter divorce, failed business, the death of a son, and another son's addiction; the narrator provides daily texts and emotional support.
Read at www.mercurynews.com
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