Bus Stop Friends

Thank goodness for Connolly because she always wants to run outside at school pick-up and see everyone. If it wasn’t for her, I would probably stay in my car and scroll. But she insists on riding her scooter and bringing a fruit snack to her best friend, Harper. 

So, I reluctantly step outside my car and slam the door. Sometimes the sun is shining and our skin is celebrating and other times it is dark and gloomy. Weather makes no difference to Connolly. Get that girl outside to see the people. 

Now don’t be fooled, I am an easy friend-maker, but I am getting to know a whole new set of friendships. And sometimes this can be scary. These are the friends you get to know because your kids go to school together and all of a sudden you are shuttling them back and forth to sleepovers and they are swapping stuffed animals and germs. 

You know, childhood.

So there we all are – mamas with fifth-graders and some with kindergartners. Women in their cute Nordstrom work outfits and women in their Evereve joggers. Each looking at the other - Nordstrom chick wishing she could be in joggers and jogger gal longing to go to Nordstrom.

And here I am, new to navigating the land. Sometimes I’m Nordstrom and other days I’m Evereve, but what I learned is that didn’t matter.

A smile did.

As well as getting out of my car. 

It’s the smallest things that make the biggest difference.

Connolly would give Harper her fruit snacks, they would wizz around in their scooters and us mamas would chat. Somedays we talked about the weather. Somedays about a scary diagnosis a new loved one received. It all mattered. All of it. Because what was really happening was the creation of new friendships. Tender hearts toward one another with sticky fingers, side buns, joggers and cute skirts. 

Today my fruit snack friends came to my home. We drank La Croix and talked about our kids. We laughed about what shows we are watching and leaned in when we shared what currently feels weighty. All because we started on pavement with scooters as our background noise. 

I can’t wait to see where those friendships go. I am so glad I got out of my car and smiled.