Just returning for another look at this thread after a while and see it is still going strong. I just wish there were more of you living in Australia!!! As I get older and more and more of my friends are having children I have realise how selective I am becoming on whether to continue the friendships or not. A few weeks ago, my best friend in the whole world (the one who I'd vowed with at many a pub that we would never, ever have kids) rang me with what most people would perceive as good news. She asked if I was sitting down and I knew straight away from the tone in her voice, this was it - the moment I had been dreading. The only saving grace for me was that the words were coming out of her mouth and not mine "I'm pregnant" she said. I did all of the congratulatory friend things that you're supposed to do but after only 15 minutes on the phone, found an excuse to "have to go" I took myself into my room and cried. My husband thought I was being silly as it wasn't me that was pregnant and finds my thoughts on the issue hard to deal with at the best of times. But, what he didn't understand was, I was mourning the friendship that will never be the same again. She will always be my best friend but to say this won't change a thing is being unrealistic. A lot of people think child free people dump their friends when they have kids but I think it goes both ways. They go on and find new friends with more in common as well. I must admit, I have let a few friendships fall by the wayside when kids arrive on the scene but they also haven't pursued the friendship any further either but I'm the one that gets the finger pointed at them for the disolved friendship. I still have some freinds with children but would much prefer to hang out with my child free friends if I have the choice. I don't know how long I'll have with my childfree friends. I say yes to every invitation to dinner or the pub because I don't know how many childfree years I have left with them. What if they change their minds too?
