help me write a polite email!

[sara3]

please help! I have a very long-standing friend who has lived abroad for many years. she has asked me over several times, but I have always declined because whenever I've seen her with her husband and child (now a grown up) there are always rows between them, the noise level is horrendous and I don't deal with that level of bad atmosphere well. "volatile" is probably a good word. and I like peace and tranquility.

when she comes over here she has made the most pointed of remarks about it (which doesn't tempt me to change my mind), but I know she is hurt that I've never been out to visit her, and I do feel a bit bad about it.

now she has sent me an email and has ranted at me about this and I feel I should tell her the truth, but don't know how to word it without really upsetting her (which will come back at me as anger, which I won't be able to deal with!). HELP!!

[sara3]

mercia, it feels a bit like that sometimes but it's hard when it's someone who has been around forever.

[ttfn]

sara what a rotten predicament for you. you could I suppose just say her pictures aren't level? (;-) good luck with the task