Summer comes and friends go. New friends perhaps?

There are challenges in having the one and only child, like I have with Taufik that I did not foresee. Well I guess I did foresee it somewhat, because in all my prayers for children, I have always asked for more than one. I never said, "Ya Allah, give me one child." And even in my most desperate hours, when I really felt like doing some bargaining and begging, I never said, "At least one child, ya Allah!" It was always, "Ya Allah, please bless me with children, I would be grateful for one. Three would be nice, but two would also be wonderful.'

You see, having one child, and a child that enjoys making friends and socialising makes it a priority that one has friends. I am so terrible at making friends and this really puts a lot of stress on me. In order for Taufik to have lots of friends I must have lots of friends.

From the time he was born till today, I managed to make quite a nice circule of friends with children that Taufik mostly enjoyed being with. There was Patrick, Natasha's four year old son whom Taufik absolutely adored. There was Mahnoor, 6 years old, which got along fine with Taufik for the first 1 1/2 years of his life, but now they fight like cats and dogs - which really makes it a horror for them to be together. Then there's Anne Christine's three children, Maeva, Nathon and Timothy. And more of course.

But one by one they are leaving since summer has always been the time for current expats to leave and new expats to come. I hope that the new wave bunch of expats would come with it some wonderful ladies with wonderful children for Taufik and I to befriend. Oh dear, still the idea of starting from scratch tires me. I am exhausted just by the thought of it all.