Breaking up is hard to do

So over the last six years, I've made one really close friend in the neighborhood. A lady who, like me, arrived here in 2012 knowing almost no one. We met through the regular block parties we have out here, two transplants in a sea of old timers, and hit it right off. We're both animal lovers, both slightly aggravated by our spouses (only on rare occasions, of course!), and both enjoy a giggle and cup of coffee.

And while nothing has transpired that would have precipitated it (that I can figure out, anyway) she has apparently dumped me. She sent me a nice note saying she'd love to have one last visit at my house before I put it on the market and when I sent her back an enthusiastic assent, with some tentative dates and times. I got back ... crickets. Radio silence. Nothing.

I've left her a couple of other messages, one asking her again if she wanted to get together, and another one to see if she wanted some eggs, and got the same resounding silence in return. So at this point, I'm backing off.

I'm 99 percent sure it's nothing I've said, so I'm wondering if maybe for some people goodbyes are just too hard and so they pull away before the moment comes. Other neighbors who have talked to her say she's in apparent good health, but I guess at our age you never really know about that.

But as we're getting closer to leaving, I am finding some friends drawing closer and some definitely starting to pull away. My neighbor is just an extreme example of the latter, I guess. You know this sort of thing happens during huge life changes, but it often surprises you which camp people end up falling into. Luckily I think in the days of Facebook and frequent travel, most friends do stay in touch in some form.

But for others, that's not the case. I guess breaking up is hard to do even if you're just friends or neighbors.