Dear Annie: My husband and I recently went on an eight-day cruise to Iceland with two close friends. We have been friends for more than 40 years and have traveled together many times. Two days before we were to leave, I tested positive for Covid. I went to urgent care, and the doctor told me I could still go on the trip. I began Paxlovid and wore a mask for the first five days of the cruise.
Unfortunately, by the end of the trip, my husband, one of my roommates and I all tested positive for Covid after we returned home. Since then, my friends have stopped speaking to me. I feel heartbroken that a trip that should have been full of memories has now fractured a decades-long friendship.
I never intended to put anyone at risk, and I followed the medical advice I was given. Now I do not know how to repair this damage or if my friends will ever forgive me. What can I do to try to mend this rift? — Hurt and Regretful
Dear Hurt and Regretful: It is understandable that your friends are upset. From their perspective, you boarded a cruise with Covid, and they may feel you put them at risk. Friendships of 40 years, however, deserve more than silence. Write a heartfelt note acknowledging their feelings and apologizing for the distress. Then give them space. If the bond is strong, time and sincerity can help heal the rift.
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Dear Annie: Friends won’t speak to me since I got them sick on cruise
