I have two new stories on the friend dating scene.
Story #1: I met another girl at the park, and we had some nice conversation over a short period of time. She runs a business from home and gave me some samples. We exchanged e-mail addresses and phone numbers. Well, one lovely afternoon I was having a mini-breakdown. I will attribute it mostly to pregnancy hormones. I also couldn't find something I was looking for, and I was getting overly stressed and near tears. My phone rang. I didn't recognize the number, and thought it might be a simple appointment reminder from my OB. I answered, thinking it would distract me. Well, it was this new friend prospect. Somehow, hearing a friendly voice put me over the edge. I tried to cover up my emotional state, but she could hear it in my voice and asked if I was okay. I tried to joke my way out of it, but ended up telling her it wasn't a good time to talk. My voice had that husky tone that immediately precedes crying. Needless to say, I was mortified.
The following day, I sent her an e-mail in which I tried to explain my emotional state to her, but of course in the back of my head I'm thinking that she has written me off as a crazy, emotional woman who would make a high-maintenance friend. Also in the back of my head is the idea that she might just be trying to sell me something. This insecurity is about as welcome as my hormone-induced pimples. I'm too old for this S@#T!!! We'll see if our paths cross again.
Story #2: Any of you who know my in-laws know that I won the in-law jackpot. I adore them. They adore Aleida. She adores them back. We are just one big circle of mutual adoration. Not a day goes by that I'm not thankful that I have beaten the odds and actually married into a family whose members I love and respect. And I am even more grateful now that I live so close to them and see what willing and able grandparents they are.
Anyway, let me get back on track. My mother-in-law has been talking about two of her friends who have daughters about my age who in turn have daughters both born within a month of Aleida. Since I've moved back to Colorado, we've been talking about getting all of us together to meet and admire each other's offspring. This finally happened. We put the date on the calendar a couple weeks back, and met up for a little brunch get together this morning. As mentioned above, I love and trust my mother-in-law. Therefore, she is one of few people I would optimistically allow to set me up on a blind play date. Even so, I couldn't help but picture awkward silence among three generations of women. I wondered what we might have in common other than our daughters.
Still, I took a bit of extra time getting dressed this morning. I didn't just throw on any old comfy thing like I've been prone to do as the belly grows. I actually wore earrings. I made sure Aleida's outfit also matched, and I took the extra few minutes to put her hair back in a little pig-tail (no easy feat for me...I'm not gifted when it comes to hairstyling).
As blind dates go (and I've only been on one or two others in my life), this was a huge success. Both girls were open, talkative and humorous. The three toddlers were adorable, and the grandmas were all loving and attentive. We talked. We laughed. We swapped birth stories and compared sleeping habits of our kids. Our conversation ventured a little into non-child-related topics. I didn't notice any glaring turn-offs (no crazy ideologies, weird habits or unsightly warts). The date was going so well, it almost infringed on Aleida's nap time. Perhaps the best part: one of the other girls asked to swap contact info. I didn't even have to be the aggressor.
So, on the friendship dating scene, things are going remarkably well. I have new and interesting prospects. I'm getting closer to some of the moms in my play group. I'm reconnecting with old friends, and I'm closer to many of my tried and trues. I can't complain.
