As the mother of an only child I worry about my child’s ability to interact and get along with other children. Especially after my divorce I worried that Hailey would not spend enough time with other children, outside of school, to learn good social skills. It seemed that when I got divorced many of the friends I had while I was married drifted away, and with them, went the friendships my daughter had with their children. The divorce also effectively shut the door on any siblings she might have.
This makes me especially grateful for my family. My sisters and their children live close to me and Hailey has spent a lot of time with them growing up. My youngest sister and I were actually married to brothers for a while so our children were especially close. The three of them, my daughter and my niece and nephew, were so close and spent so much time together that at times it was as if they were all siblings.
Hailey, Kayla and Kyle share a special bond and it is from this bond that my daughter has learned to interact with other children. These kids are so close they can finish each other’s sentences but will also fight like siblings. It’s an amazing thing to watch, I was so afraid Hailey would miss out on that experience but thanks to my sisters children, she has not.
Yesterday Hailey and Kyle drove from Salt Lake to Boise to pick up Kayla. Being the nervous Nelly that I am I had them text me every hour on the hour. When they stopped for gas and candy bars, Hailey called me. Listening to the two of them laugh together as they decided what to buy and hearing how excited they were to be so close to Kayla made me realize that Hailey hasn’t missed anything.
My daughter has the same bond with her cousins that I have with my sisters. We laugh together, finish each other’s jokes and in general have more fun with each other than anyone else. I’m so glad that my divorce and the decision to not have any more children did not rob my daughter of that amazing experience.