Friendships

Maddie climbs into the car, slams the door and plops her book bag on the floor. "Is everything okay?" I ask.

"No, I don't feel good. My throat hurts."

"When did that start?" I drive away from the school hoping that the sore throat doesn't progress into something more serious that may keep her home from school the next day. 

"After lunch, it began to hurt." Silence prevails as we head for home until Maddie bursts out, "Well, aren't you going to ask me the usual question?" 

I rack my brain searching for the right answer but return empty-headed. "What is that, Maddie?"

"You know--how was my school day?" Uh oh, I think I know where we're headed with this conversation.

"Oh, uh, how was your school day today?"

"It was HORRIBLE. Gretchen is done with me!"

Her sore throat seems to have paled in comparison to the drama at hand. Her choice of words is always interesting and yet again, I stifle a smile. "What happened, honey?"

Maddie begins the long saga of what led up to the dissolution of a 4-year friendship. At the conclusion of the story, I conclude that two tired, cranky girls fought over silly stuff. Reconciliation is hopeful, but right now, Maddie is crying and just needs some hugs and a little love and tenderness. At home, we sit in the comfy chair and discuss how friendships can be difficult and occasionally misunderstandings and miscommunication can occur. "Late night gymnastics meets and early mornings at school can contribute to little girls being impatient and unkind," I say. "Maybe you need to ask Gretchen if you said anything that hurt her feelings. I bet she still wants to be your friend."

Feeling a little better, she bounces off my lap to get ready for gymnastics. Life doesn't appear quite so bleak. She plans to talk to Gretchen and get to the bottom of the situation. 

The next day, Maddie cheerfully hops into the car--nodding her head at me. "Yep, Gretchen and I are friends again. I told her I was sorry and she did too. You were right, mom." 

Ahhhh, I wonder how much longer I'll hear those sweet-sounding words...