How To Make Friends

It’s pretty amazing to watch my daughter interact with other kids. Other people in general. She is what you call a social butterfly. What amazes me the most is that there seems to be no age limit for her. She loves interacting with people, kids her age, younger kids older kids and much older kids.

She includes grown ups too. She has a beautiful way of approaching people. Kids, that’s kind of easy, you know. She heads out there and simply asks them if they want to play. Younger kids, older kids or kids her age. Usually she ends up getting a crowd together.

A little while ago, staying at a hotel, there were no kids at the pool. So she started chatting to a couple who was relaxing in a corner. First I thought that I should go get her but the couple signalled to me pretty quickly that they are totally okay with this little chat. Apparently she said hi to them, introduced herself and asked them how their day has been and where they are from. They spoke for a little bit longer and then she saw an older lady swimming her rounds, on her own.

She just smiled at the lady. When the lady swam past her and smiled back at her, she asked her if she was by herself. The lady explained to my daughter that she was indeed on her own. My daughter smiled at her again and said: “Well, if you feel lonely just let me know. I am more than happy to play with you…”

By the day we left, everyone knew her. Whenever we came to the pool everyone said hi to her and had a little chat with her. They told her what they did that day and what they are planning to do the next day. It felt like she was the host… Or in charge of the guest program 😉

You get a lesson about making friends by watching her. And what I truly like is that she welcomes everyone. My daughter loves people and she makes them feel welcome and simply good. I hope she will stay like this. And I hope even more, that nobody will ever take advantage of this beautiful side to her and hurt her. Because then ‘friendship’ will for sure be the last word I am thinking of…