Day 28 – Friendship

“You sit here, Grandma, while I play.” Elizabeth

The little park at the County library and just the two of us and then a family arrives.

We guessed the little girl’s age, five I decided and she thought four.

They connected at a distance and then the one grew closer to the other.

One announced, after telling her parents,

“I’m gonna make a new friend.”

And even though Elizabeth said “I’ll just play with you, Grandma.”

Within moments names were exchanged in a seesaw game of tag and follow each other.

Then they drifted back to the ones they’d known longer, her to her parents and Elizabeth to me.

And I sat in the spot she said was just right for me, the wide bottom of the cool silver slide.

And I remembered my friend saying about she and I, “Oh, we hit it off immediately.” to someone who asked about our relationship.

There’s something about the bravery of befriending a stranger.

Becoming the friend neither of you expected.

Vulnerably deciding, here’s someone I can give my story to and know it’ll be safe.

And someone who can share with me her own collection of sorrow and joy.

Of laughter, of likeminded observations of others.

All because we decided it would be okay to strike up a conversation and let it grow.

Like strangers on a playground, one four year old and one five, who decided we can play together, I can tell you my name and you can do the same.