From an early age, both my girls made friends at their daycare pretty easily. From as early as they could talk, they came home with stories of their friends. Both my husband and I love to hear them talk about their best friends and hear from their teachers that they are always playing together.

In daycare, the time spent together is often shorter than in school. Moving from the infant room to the toddler room to the preschool room can be faster for some, depending on their start date, potty training successes, etc.

In the case of my Little Bird, she was one part of a “three musketeers” trio. These three little girls spent each and every moment together in their toddler class, before one moved up to a preschool class, and then the left shortly after. My Little Bird was last to move and then shortly after that, I took her out of daycare when I went on maternity leave.

I kept in touch with one of the moms of these “musketeers” and we had many play dates and the girls grew closer and spent more time together before reuniting for four months at the end of my mat leave. But Junior Kindergarten was on the horizon. And the two girls were not going to go to school together.

However even after school started, we continued to meet up for a play dates at a local indoor playground, and the girls would squeal with delight at the sight of each other.

Suddenly, the communication ended.

I don’t think I did anything wrong, and neither did my daughter. The family had moved farther away and she had many family obligations. Then when too much time passes, sometimes the connection is gone.

But that didn’t stop my Little Bird from asking if her friend can be invited over for play dates, birthday parties, etc., as she clearly missed her. I felt horrible, but had to tell her that she was busy, or couldn’t come. She wouldn’t understand that they moved and I am not in touch with her mother anymore.

She has a whole new set of friends from school and as time goes on, she has almost fully stopped bringing her daycare friend up. But it doesn’t take away from the fact that those bonds they made were real and they really enjoyed playing together.

I know my girl misses her friend, and I know it’s a part of life, but it’s still hard to watch. My wish is she doesn’t forget her old friends, but comes to understand that changes happen in life, and you move on. Their paths could cross again.

Stranger things have happened.

About me: I am a working mom to a Little Bird and a Little Mouse, and happily m