Matchmaker

Zeca is trying to fix me up with another mom - like a mom friend date, not a lady love date. Thankfully.

She wants us to be friends so that she can spend more time with this kid she likes at school and believes that a parental alliance will guarantee her social success.

We will be meeting for the first time at Zeca's birthday party next week and Zeca has repeatedly stressed the importance of this meeting. She doesn't seem to be worried that I'll misbehave in some way, which is sweet if not a little naive. It's more that she needs me to understand that this is a Very Important Moment and all of her friendship dreams are riding on it.

Yesterday, as we were driving home from school, she brought The Parent Summit up once more.

Zeca: Soooo...just a few more days until you meet Bobby's mom.

Me: Yep.

Zeca: I just know that you are going to be friends.

Me: I am not really in the market for new friends, honey.

Zeca: You have to be friends.

Me: No, we can be friendly. We don't have to be friends for you to have play dates with Bobby.

Zeca: No. You are going to be friends. You guys will find each other really funny and then she'll follow you on Twitter and read your blog and you will be real friends and then Bobby and I will get to hang out all the time.

Hoping your friends' moms follow your mom on Twitter? #bloggerspawnproblems

Me: Sweetie, not every mom tweets and blogs.

Zeca: Whatever. The point is that you'll laugh and be friends.

I am touched that Zeca has identified humor as one of the traits I find essential in potential friends and I'm glad that she wants to use her social circles to expand my blog audience.

But this is too much pressure!

She has overestimated my social skills and obviously doesn't know that I am prone to awkward social interactions when I first meet people.

I was discussing this with Luisa last night and she told me that Zeca has been talking to her about Bobby's mom as well. Zeca is hedging her bets and hoping that one of her moms will come through for her.

Luisa makes a great first impression while I simply make an impression. I have a few days to convince Zeca that Luisa and Bobby's mom would be the best friends ever which will then free me from all social responsibility.

Wish me luck.