All dressed up and no one to meet (Revised) (Again)

That's me. Had plans to meet a friend for lunch today. Just found out that she has to bail on me. Nothing that was her fault, but I'm disappointed nonetheless.

And I don't have anything for lunch. And we were going to the Pizza Grille too...

poop.

This is a friend from a previous employer who I've made it a point to stay in touch with. We try to get together once a month or so. And I'm never suprised when she cancels on me because she's done it a lot. She has things come up which rate higher on the priority scale than me. Which I understand. But I'm still disappointed.

I'm tempted to make some sort of smart-alecky remark about how frequently this occurs. And I think that's a problem for me in general. I often feel like I need to get a gentle barb in because I want people to know how I'm feeling. When I get an email from someone who hasn't written me in a month, I'm tempted to say "Hey Stranger! Where have you been?" I know perfectly well where they've been, but I feel like I need to express my feelings. If I'm feeling slighted, I want them to know that I've been frustrated/anxious/disappointed/insert other feeling here: _________ by their actions.

But is that really necessary? Do they already have a clue about how I'm feeling? I think in a lot of cases yes. Today's friend has acknowleged in the past her cancellation habits. So I know she has some understanding of what she does. Does it make it any less frustrating? No. Because it still happens. But if I need people to know how I'm feeling, I have to tell them in a loving manner. And in a way that doesn't make light of their quirks (which they're most likely already aware of).

Because "A friend loves at all times." (Prov. 17.17). Not just when it's convenient or when my friend is in my good graces, but ALL the time.