Relentless Inquiry

We were best friends for ages. We had dinners together, hung out on the couch watching movies, made time for each other when one of us was feeing rotten. Then you met HIM. Now we're just roommates.

You started coming home late and going straight to bed without even saying hello. I tried to stay friendly, tempt you into sticking around, but you were too busy. Finally you stopped coming home at all except to deal with bills, laundry, and me every few days. We never had any fun together.

I started making a mess, even though I used to be tidy. I thought you'd notice how miserable I was. You just got mad. “What's gotten into you?!”, you'd yell at me. Pretty soon I started avoiding you. I picked up some kinda self-destructive habits, hoping you'd notice, or maybe just to distract myself. You just got madder.

Now HE's dumped you, and suddenly you want to go back to being best friends like nothing ever happened. Even though I'm still hurt, and mad, and have grown into some bad habits that make me a lot less fun to be around. “That will change, you'll see!”, you said.

You only gave me a couple of weeks to 'snap out of it', after six months of basically ignoring me. Then you dropped the bomb. “I'm sorry, but I just don't think I can live with you anymore. You're too difficult to deal with.”

I'm either clueless or in shock. I'm acting like I just don't care, but I really don't know what's going on. I can't even talk to you about it.

Really. I can't. Because I'm not human. I'm your cat, or dog, who just doesn't understand why you disappeared for so long. Or why you always seemed either mad or scary when you came back. If I were a PERSON, you'd understand. Can't you try to meet me in the middle, and give me a better chance?

If you treat me like someone whose feelings were hurt, and who isn't sure who to trust anymore, I'll be able to start being your friend again. After a while, we can be best buddies again. And next time you meet HIM, or HER, or THEM, maybe you can hang out at OUR place and count me in, instead of leaving me out. Please?

With great sincerity,
Your Pet(s)

PS– I got a friend to type this for me, because I can't type either. She knows what it's like, because she left her best buddies for about a year to work out of state, and they didn't get to visit her like her husband did. She had to be extra patient for a few months, but then everything was ok again. Sometimes, when she works too hard and forgets her buddies, they forget too, but it happens less and less as time goes on.

PPS– OK to link to or forward elsewhere.