Benjamin had his first swimming lesson on Sunday. Despite my extreme hang over, we got in the car with our little beach bag filled with one pair of tiny swim trunks, swimming diapers, towels and flip flops.

We pulled into the parking garage and another car pulls up next to ours and out emerges the perfect married couple and their son, just a few months younger than Benjamin. He was clutching a towel.

“Are you guys going to the swimming lessons too?” Yep, they chimed. We chatted the entire way there. They were just as excited as I was to see their little boy in his first class of any kind. It was a long walk so the conversation quickly switched to small talk about our toddlers.

The boy’s mother said, “he calls his dad ‘honey’ because I call him ‘honey.’ It’s so cute.” Wow, I thought. Wow. Their world is completely alien to mine. And then I dropped the single mom bomb – not really on purpose but just because I think it’s funny and it was the only way I could relate – “Benjamin calls me ‘Alaina’ because we spent the first year at my mom’s after I left my husband.”

Silence.

Then a quick recovery by moi as I changed the subject. We all made our way to the pool, laughing and playing with the boys.

There were married couples everywhere. And then there was me. The only single mom, walking around in a damn bikini (yes, I’m a rookie at this stuff). I didn’t even care though because I was SO excited about Benjamin’s first time in a real class. And when the director called out his name along with all of the other kids in his class I nearly burst into tears with pride. My little guy! In a class! HOLY Sh*T!

My married stranger friends were assigned to a different side of the pool. So we were seperated. And then as soon as Benjamin and I got in the water he started freaking out. Not because of the water, he loves the water. But this water…was chilly. Not cool for the B-man.

He was crying and clutching me the entire time. The class was so stupid anyway. We all danced in a circle singing ring around the rosie, blew water bubbles, did some kicks and floats and then it was over. And that’s when I jumped out of the pool to get him warm in the dressing room.

Anyway, I didn’t get a chance to say good-bye to my married stranger friends.

But next week we’ll see them again…so should I ask the mom if she’d like to hang out or have a play date? How do you make friends with strangers the old-fashioned way? I don’t even know. I’m such a weirdo. I’m just young too…a young single mom. Not easy when it comes to very “adult” social situations. Until now I made all of my friends in bars or at parties. And my other question is this:

Is it possible for us single moms to be friends with married couples?

I have plenty of married girlfriends but they were my friends before they tied the knot. And I don’t see them very often. Not sure if it’s because they’re coupled up and don’t venture out much or if it’s because I just don’t have that much in common with them.

Am I way off base here? Do you have married friends?

[Photo Credit: Penkridge, England, 1920's Married Couple]

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