Best Friends

Best Friends

They say as adults we make friends for a reason, a season or a lifetime.

This saying could also be said of when you are three.

Zachy has made a lot of friends for a reason. 

As a baby, the reason was probably because their parents were our friends. 

As a toddler at nursery, perhaps an interest in the same toy, book or game was the reason they played side by side.

He has also made friends for a season – at various swimming classes, singing classes and football classes, before moving on to the next activity and a new set of playmates. 

He starts tennis lessons next week and I am sure he will find someone to buddy up with for the duration of the course.

Although, the friendships that stand the best chance of lasting a lifetime will be the ones he chooses for himself. 

The ones where true connections are made and adventures shared.  Someone to confide all his deepest secrets to and know that no matter what, someone has got his back. 

There are quite a few children he gets on very well with at pre-school.  However, last year he started spending more and more time with two children in particular. 

They soon became the Woody and Jessie to his Buzz Lightyear.

(for their privacy, I will refer to them throughout the rest of this post as Woody and Jessie, although these are not their real names, obviously…)

It started slowly with the three of them always playing together in the garden when we went to collect him.  Some days, it could take 15-minutes to catch them as they dragged every last moment out of the day.

After a while, the staff started telling us that they had become inseparable, choosing to spend the majority of their days together.

At home, Woody and Jessie were regularly mentioned in role play games.  It was all ‘Woody this’ and ‘Jessie that’.

Zachy looked forward to going to nursery so that he could play with them, and at weekends he’d ask if they could come over.

It was only a matter of time before Woody’s mum suggested a weekend playdate, so we all checked calendars and arranged a time.

When the day finally came around, the excitement levels were set to MAX. 

At Woody’s house, the three of them raced up and down the corridor squealing with laughter. 

For 3 hours.

When it came time for Zachy and Jessie to leave, they had a complete meltdown.  At nursery the following week, they told everyone about their weekend together – including every detail of what they had to eat and drink.  Every toy they had played with, every book they had read.

Since then, there have been more playdates, walks in the park and trips to the theatre. 

There was Jessie’s birthday party, where the three of them bounced in and out of the ball pool, cracking themselves up. 

For 3 hours. 

Joined at the hip, eyes alight, hugging. 

So innocent, so pure, so completely and utterly thrilling.

Last weekend it was Woody’s birthday party and of course, his two little pals were invited.

Zachy did not leave the birthday boy’s side all afternoon.  I joked to his mum at one point that Zachy was not far from cocking his leg to one side and claiming Woody as his own.

The parents of his friends have become our friends, and he chose some really fab ones for us. 

They have made this part of the journey all the more pleasurable.  They have been a rock and an ear.  They get it.

This September, Buzz, Woody & Jessie will all part ways as different catchment areas whisk them off to different schools. 

New alliances will be made, new friendships will be formed.  This is the very nature of life. 

If Zachy is very lucky, he will get to experience this bond many more times. 

But, I will always remember Woody and Jessie.  They were his first best buddies.  He chose them all by himself. 

Much like the memory of his first food, his first steps and his first word, they are engraved on my heart forever and I will treasure them always.

*****

Do you remember your first childhood best friend?

 *****

 

You can follow me on Twitter @smudgerella, find me on Facebook,
and on Pinterest as Grenglish

25 Comments

  1. The40yearold
    February 19, 2013 / 4:28 PM

    What a lovely post. My daughter also made great friends at nursery, a couple we are still in contact with. It really does give you a warm fuzzy feeling to see them enjoying their time together. It really does still surprise me how much I like the parents, who are similar to me, although I guess it’s that similar upbringing that beings them together.

    • Grenglish
      Author
      February 20, 2013 / 11:35 AM

      I agree, I would definitely have chosen these two sets of parents myself. We do also have a lot in common I suppose – live in the same area, kids the same age, working parents etc. Have loved being a part of his little world as well.

  2. February 19, 2013 / 6:32 PM

    Ah, that is lovely. If you get on with the parents, the chances are you’ll still stay in touch. I’ve just transferred my eldest to a new Junior school where his best buddies from nursery go – and that was part of the reason, having stayed in touch with their parents through the whole of their infant schooling. I completely agree there’s nothing like watching them happy that makes you happy. And I remember those first friends too!

    • Grenglish
      Author
      February 20, 2013 / 11:33 AM

      I hope so Anya, watching these friendships form has been so lovely. You are right, it does make parents so happy to see them getting along x

  3. February 19, 2013 / 7:32 PM

    This is such a lovely post! I’m still friends with my first proper friend, but we practically grew up together as our parents were friends too.

    • Grenglish
      Author
      February 20, 2013 / 11:32 AM

      that is really lovely, you are very lucky to still be in each others lives x

  4. February 20, 2013 / 2:58 PM

    That was such a lovely post – it’s such a joy when they start making their first little friends – you never know, they could stay in touch through the parents perhaps? Lots of barbies in the Summer? X.

    • Grenglish
      Author
      February 22, 2013 / 3:22 PM

      Ooooh yes, we do love a barbie… any opportunity to chuck another sausage on!

  5. February 21, 2013 / 4:44 PM

    beautiful – it’s wonderful when you click with the parents too.
    I feel bad that moving has displaced my son from his special mate. He’s yet to find one as good. It sounds as if you have opportunity to maintain the friendships – these are the type that could last a lifetime.

    • Grenglish
      Author
      February 22, 2013 / 3:22 PM

      Your son will find another good one, they are brilliant at making friends at that age. Gets harder as we get older, I find.
      Glad it is all going well with your move, the rest will follow in time 🙂

  6. February 21, 2013 / 10:09 PM

    It is so lovely to read this. My little one starts nursery in September and I hope he finds such good friends to run and laugh and play with x

    • Grenglish
      Author
      February 22, 2013 / 3:20 PM

      She really will and it is so lovely to watch the friendships form and develop. Good luck for September! x

  7. Rachael (Mushroomsmum)
    February 22, 2013 / 10:00 PM

    What a lovely post! Mushroom has just been at nursery a year and is very close to one boy there. He moves up to the next class next week and I worry he’ll miss his friend! He’s also very close to our neighbour’s son. He can’t say his name properly so calls him ‘Mushroom’ or ‘Daddy’! I dread to think what will happen when they move (they are planning to move in the next year or so). He already cries when they have to separate…

  8. February 24, 2013 / 5:29 PM

    What a wonderful tale, and how timely for me. I found you through DorkyMum (although I have never met DorkySon, I know DorkyDad well, so I am almost an honorary DorkyUncle). Recently my childhood “sweetheart” from age 4 found me on Facebook (I am 55 now), and I have to say that I was flooded with memories and emotions, as I have never forgotten her, nor she me. I can only imagine in this day of easier connectivity, Jessie and Woody might stay with Buzz to infinity and beyond!

    • Grenglish
      Author
      February 25, 2013 / 5:41 PM

      Hi David, thank you for taking the time to comment. What a lovely story, what would we do without facebook?! It’s a great way to reconnect with people. I am so happy to hear the connection was still there for you guys, even after all this time.

  9. February 24, 2013 / 6:28 PM

    Sweet! We have a few buddies from the early years, the first one’s chosen by my daughter. They’re still around, peeking out of the space between bed and wall or tucked in corners. Although most of the other toys have gone to the loft, these haven’t.

    • Grenglish
      Author
      March 13, 2013 / 11:19 AM

      I will hang on to them forever, I think 🙂

  10. February 28, 2013 / 3:36 PM

    So sweet. I still have friends from school and embarrassing photos of me ‘marrying’ my childhood sweetheart aged 4 (I made him wear my Dad’s jacket and shoes)…so wonderful to reminisce with those people I still now, now aged 32. I see Oliver’s little friends and how much they care for one another, so young and it makes my heart swell!

    • Grenglish
      Author
      March 13, 2013 / 11:20 AM

      Hehehe, I would like to see those photos plesae!!!

  11. February 28, 2013 / 3:39 PM

    Forgot to say this brought tears to my eyes x

  12. Pingback: Mushroom’s guide to making friends | Mothering Mushroom

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