Oil and water

I don't know what it is about Maggie's friend Meghan, but when they're together lately, all they do is fight, and when they're apart, all they do is long for the other. Our two families have become pretty close -- we attend church together and have started socializing more and more, even going out of town together. You'd think this would thrill the girls. And it does ... up until the point that we're all actually in each others' physical presence. Then, it's oil and water.

"Meghan don't talk to me!" "I don't want to talk to you!" "I want the purple cup that Maggie has!" "I had that toy first!" "No, it's my turn!" "I don't want to be your friend any more."

Last weekend at breakfast, Meghan's dad turned to me and asked, "Do they ever get along?" It's hard to believe sometimes, but they do. Tonight Meghan was here playing, and after fighting for the first 15 minutes, she and Maggie played wonderfully together.

But the funny thing is when they're apart. You'd think their little hearts were being ripped from their chests, so great is the angst at separation. Almost every day, Maggie asks if we'll see Meghan that day, and if I say no, she whines for about 30 minutes that she wants to go see her. She's also been watching Meghan's 3rd year slideshow on DVD a lot lately, and yesterday she cried over the fact that Meghan has an older cousin Maggie's never met. When we parted ways tonight, Maggie insisted that SHE wanted to go to North Carolina this weekend because SHE also needed to attend Meghan's uncle's wedding. Karen says Meghan is nearly the same way -- she talks about Maggie constantly and always wants to come to her house, ride in her car, or do something else with her. You'd think they were absolutely, completely 100% inseparable.

Until they're together. Then, more often than not, they can't stand the sight or sound of each other.

A friend (whose daughters are teenagers) shared a theory today that I believe is right on the money: Just as pregnancy is the body's way of preparing for the baby to leave the womb, puberty is God's way of preparing teens to leave the house. Or, more to the point, preparing parents for the sheer joy experienced when teens leave the house. After spending a few hours with two moody 3-year-olds, I'm almost there. Almost.

And after another 15 years of this?? Yeah ... I think I'll be ready too.