friends by choice

If you've been around Cate for any length of time recently, you've heard her talk about Talley. In her class of seven 3 year olds at preschool, Talley is the one Cate comes home talking about most. That alone speaks volumes because sometimes when I ask Cate about her day, she kindly tells me we can talk about it later. But most every six-minute drive home involves at least one mention of Talley.

One day she was "working" with alphabet stickers and noticed a pink T. "That's a T for Talley. She's a girl like me. Girls like pink."

Well, yes.

So out of curiosity, I asked Cate if she knew what letter started her name. "Big C." Check.

Then this past weekend I was wearing a yellow T-shirt that had M-U-R-R-A-Y S-T-A-T-E in glittery letters. Cate's observation was "There's two Ts. One for Talley. One for Cate."

One for Cate? I know what you're thinking. We just went over how her name starts with a big C. But, you know, there's still a T in the middle of her name.

Anyway ...

My point is Cate made her first friend without my help. All her other friends, who are dear to our family, came by way of my adult friendships. And nothing will replace those family friendships because they are precious to us and important to our little community.

But it's important she makes friends too. I'm not sure what criteria 3 year-old girls use to choose friends. But Talley and Cate found something in each other in that preschool classroom. And from what I've gathered during pick-up and drop-off times three days a week and our playdate at the park yesterday, I think they did a good job in choosing each other.