For many years, my family would go to a Christmas party at Melanie’s winter cabin. Melanie lived in our neighborhood and had similar aged kids as my siblings and I, and my mom became very friendly with her as the years passed, so much so that we even attended her annual Christmas party at her winter cabin that was only about 45 minute away from our neighborhood. The parties were always a blast growing up, lots of kids running around and the parents all having a good time.
As the years passed, Melanie separated from her husband, and us kids all went off to college. I stopped attending the annual party once I turned 18. My mother and Melanie’s friendship became strained (I think it was related to fallout from Melanie and her ex-husbands divorce) and my parents also stopped attending the party.