Dear Arie:

It’s okay that you took long to respond, I appreciate reading back from you!

Your choice to not attend gatherings where Amy and her boyfriend are present reads reasonable to me, very reasonable.

“she was never a true friend to me like my childhood best friend was (now deceased)“- I bet you miss your true friend very much. How did it feel, at the time, to have a true friend?

“even if I did apologize and attend parties where they will be, there still will be a lot of friction and tension in the air.  So its best  I stay far away.“- I agree, better stay away from friction and tension whenever possible: for your peace of mind, and for the peace of mind of the people who do care about you and who treat you well.

anita