Sunday 21 June 2015

Why good friends are just the greatest


I spent the happiest morning I've had in a while this weekend, just watching these two play in the garden. They've known each other since they were teeny weeny, probably about two months old, where they met in a baby massage class that Arlo used to fart his way through like a trooper. Luckily it didn't put little Isla off, because they've been best buddies ever since.

Over the last two years they've had all kinds of fun together (you can see some of their escapades - and marvel at how much they've grown! - here) but I don't think they've ever got on as well as they did today. They shared and helped each other, chatted and bossed each other around, it was so sweet. And particularly nice for me and Isla's mum because we got to have a proper catch up without having to stop to yell things like "DON'T EAT THAT!" and "SHARE!" every five minutes. I hope these two will be buddies for a long time, just like I hope me and Isla's mum will be pals for a long time, having shared many a bleary-eyed, sleep-deprived day together in the early baby days. The days where all we could do was mainline coffee and tell each other "this won't last forever" (which it didn't, thank absolute F).

In other friend news, I met up with an old friend from school this week. Soz for the cliche, but he really is one of those pals where "a year can go by and you feel like no time has passed at all". Wanky as that sounds, I know this to be true because it HAD been over a year since we'd seen each other, and it WAS just like  no time had gone by. It was brilliant. I left our dinner with a spring in my step, big smile on my face, and little hearts where my eyes should be. It was this, plus watching Arlo play today that made me realise so acutely what I want for him when he grows up. And it's not necessarily a good education, well-paid job, blah blah blah - I want for him to have brilliant friendships. People he can be 100% himself with. That he can share the dark times as much as happy ones. Mates that pick him up and make him smile. And that allow him to be a brilliant friend back - to listen and support and look after when they need it too. Because aren't good friends just the greatest?

Sometimes you teach your kids things along the way, just by being you, and they pick up on them in the magic way that they do. Other times I think it's worth stopping and telling them straight the things that are important. This is one of those things that I want Arlo to know, and plan on telling him just as soon as he might answer me with something other than "choo choo!". So I plan on telling him: Good friends are important. Be one.




6 comments:

  1. It's so sweet when they have great friends. I am so sad that we are about to move away from all of our little friends and start again - as they're just at an age where they have started playing together! Lovely post and sweet photographs :) Jess x

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    1. Thanks Jess! It's so lovely when you see them actually 'play' isn't it, when they can start to communicate and you can just leave them to it (for a while, at least!) If it's any consolation, we moved house when my sister and I were little and I remember it being really exciting more than anything else, and we made lots of more pals in the new area we moved to. I'm looking forward to reading all about your new home :) xx

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  2. That is a lovely sentiment. Great advice to pass on to your son.
    My almost 7 year old is still best friends with the pal he made at the childminder's when they were 9 and 10 months old. They are so great together.

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    1. Oh that sounds so sweet! So nice for him to have such a good friend, they must have gone through so much together already. When I drop Arlo off at the childminders he runs off to play with his mates and gives me barely a second glance, I love thinking about all the fun they have while I'm at work. I'm hoping some of his pals there he'll end up going to school with too so they can stay in touch too. Thanks for reading! x

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  3. Awww lovely words! And look how cute those 2 are together! My son met friends from preschool but he is few months older so he moved to big school and the 2 are left in preschool. Now he has got new friends but he still love those 2 that he left behind. Problem is they have moved on. So when he sees them on the street they tend to ignore him and he would ask me why they are ignoring him and I dont know what to say =(

    #pocolo

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    1. Oh no, sorry to hear that. Little ones can move on so quickly with different groups of friends changing as they get bigger, can't they? The older Arlo gets the more I realise things are going to happen that are out of my control and all I can do is guide him through it as best I can. Maybe they'll reconnect when they're all in big school together? x

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