Friendship Starts Here

If you ask Colin who his best friend is (despite my best efforts for him to say "Jack" or "Dada" or even "Mama") he immediately responds with "Matt".  As we walk into day-care every single morning, he runs down the hall calling out "Matt, Matt, Matt".  You see, from his very first day at KinderCare on July 6, 2010 Matt has been his best friend.  At first, they just laid on boppy's next to eachother and drooled all day.  Then, once they noticed eachother they would laugh, and smile.  When they got more mobile, they would steal eachothers socks, binkeys, toys, and food.  Now when they see eachother in the morning, they high-five, and immediately start chasing eachother around the room (both with binkey securely in mouth and carrying beat up, yet well loved puppy stuffed animals).  They've had their ups and downs (I'll elaborate on "the slap" another day), but when it comes down to it, Matt and Colin are best buddies. 

When I was in my first management roll, we hired about 20 new employees per year. I initially struggled with how to recruit the candidates that would be the "right fit" for the job.  My boss at the time always said, "make sure they are normal".  It seemed like odd advice, but I get it now.  You obvioulsy want to hire qualified candidates, but you'll also be working with these people every single day - so you better like them.  For the most part, we succeeded, but there was that rare occurance that our "normal" hire would turn out to be a good friend. 

About seven years ago I was sitting in an interview with a recent buckeye grad, who had way too much lip gloss on.  The candidate was very serious, but you could tell she had a fun side as she talked about her relevant work experiance - driving an ice cream truck.  She reminded me a lot of, well, me (minus the ice cream truck part). We knew she was the "right fit", and hired her. She would report to me for the next year, then go on to be my peer, co-worker and most importantly my friend.  We've shared countless lunches, secrets, laughs and work stresses.  Celebrated engagements, weddings, and babies.  I've met her family, and even started a pool for the date she will get engaged.

We all know what it's like to spend the day with people that drive us up the wall. I have a close group of friends at work, and consider myself truly lucky that not only am I challenged professionally on a daily basis, but I have a strong support system around me. I'm invested in their lives, as they are in mine. Like it or not, we spend 37 1/2 (ha!) hours a week together.


Colin:  Forced to play with a Steelers fan.  No wonder he's upset. 


Tomorrow, the ex-ice cream truck driver turned auditor turned financial analyst will walk out the doors of our office building for the last time and on to a new adventure in Chicago. Colin and Matt will eventually trade the halls of KinderCare for Kindergarden (tear, I can't even think about that). And one of these days Jack will take his tumb out of his mouth, look around his room at day-care, and set eyes on his very first best friend. Maybe it will be James, or Wyatt, or even Henry.  Whoever it is, I hope they make those long days at school a little brighter!