A special day

The Kraken had her first playdate with a child that is not the child of a friend of mine today.

A week ago at the neighborhood playground, the Kraken recognized another child and after a moment's conference, the child's parents and I determined that they are in the same class at preschool. I know many of the other childrens' parents by name or at least face, but they are an a completely different arrival and departure schedule than we are, so I have never seen them. We chatted while the children played and agreed that it would be nice to give them another opportunity. On Friday, I found a note in the Kraken's cubby from the other child's mother (we'll call the child Nancy) with a phone number and an offer of an actual social event.

Normally I would be reluctant to accept such an invitation. I have my own little universe. My own friends. My own routine. I dislike any aberration from my patterns. But the Kraken, she loves Nancy. She talks about her all the time. And for the Kraken, I will do almost anything.

And you know what? We had a great time, the Kraken, the Minotaur and me. Nancy's parents are not our tribe, as it were (not aging goths, or steampunk junkies), but they are really, really, really nice. They laugh easily. They love their kid with the same fierce intensity with which we love our own. They are close to our age, and similar to us in financial and social status. And as I get older, I am beginning to think that the things I used to look for in friends don't really matter at all. I should already know this. My best two female friends are "friends of the tribe", but they are of their own tribes entirely, and our friendship was always based on more visceral, primitive connections. This family is like ours - the organized mom, the gregarious dad, the adorable kid. They are us, with different college experiences and different taste in music. We liked them. I think we might just be making some new friends. Maybe the Kraken does know best after all.