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Have you ever wondered what has happened to a friend and just not known what to say? Maybe you don't say anything, but just mind your own business. What do you think?
This problem started awhile ago, but has recently gotten much worse. My long time friend has a three year old. She is a single mom who works part time (money is no issue). The child goes to nursery school half a day three days per week. We had not seen each other in about a year as she moved to her home town to be near her parents. We just got together with other friends to catch up. Everyone was looking forward to it. The problem is that she would never engage in any conversaton without her child. Every minute she was talking to him, playing with him, or in some way engaging his attention. Most people allow their children to play with their toys or run around and play with each other, but she remained in his midst always talking to him, asking him what he thought about this or that. It was quite alarming.
The only day a couple of us could all join in for lunch, she prepared the child's lunch in advance, so I thought he would eat first, but she held on to it so he could eat with us and then she read stories from a book to him during the entire meal. I was shocked. She later thanked me allowing her to do that and I was honest and said that my mother always taught me that it was rude to read at the dinner table. She didn't seem to like that.
Later when we went out to dinner she wanted to take the book the resturant, but the child asked her not to. She still insisted on telling him stories during the meal. She only said a few sentences to the adults, but just talked to the child and told him stories. She said that was the only way to get him to eat, which was not true.
At night she says she must go put him down to sleep, but it took about 2 hours. We were ready for bed ourselves at that point.
I tried to get up early to talk to her, but he was awake and all she would do is follow him around to talk to him and ask him questions.
In the afternoon, I thought we could all talk on the beach while he played in the sand, but she took off in her car with the child going sight seeing and shopping.
She even insisted that he join in and play card games with the adults. He is a smart child but I just think all that attention is some how not healthy for him. I don't even feel as if I had a visit with her at all. The adults seemed stunned and not sure how to take it.
If I call her on the pbone, she only speaks a few words before she is talking to her son. She can't even talk 3 minutes without engaging him into the conversation.
I know other people must be thinking what I think. This woman used to be a very dynamic, intelligent, interesting, engaging, politically minded professional. That person has been abducted and we have been left a stranger. Do I say anything or mind my own business?
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