With the cool weather, our neighborhood has come alive at night and on the weekends with several kids out at the playground. My daughter has come to ask daily about a friend across the street. The family has been there about a year and a half, but only in the last few months have we become close - sharing time at the park and our homes. There are three girls - two the same age as my children.

I learned last night the family is moving in four weeks. My heart just broke. I cried after I put the kids to bed last night. While we’ve known that to be a possibility - the family rents the home and dad works on the other side of the Valley - I didn’t realize it would come so quickly into this new-found friendship for my 3-year-old. I want to just shuttle her in the house and protect her the next few weeks, but I know that’s not right or practical. She adores the other kids. Last night all of them were out running and riding scooters. This morning we walked over to drop off some boxes to help them pack and my daughter didn’t want to leave for school.

I don’t know how to prepare my daughter for this goodbye. What’s more, it may be just the first in the next few months.

A woman I’ve known since my first day at the Tribune nearly 12 years ago has become a very close friend. Our life experiences have crossed on several paths. Our sons are the same age. Our daughters are the same age. The boys are playing T-ball right now. Come summer - this year or next - a job may take them away. Not only will I be losing a very dear friend, but both my kids will lose children they’ve spent spring breaks, Christmas trips and summers with. Before I went back to work full-time, we took the kids to the zoo, the science center and the park nearly weekly.

This is part of growing up I know. I moved around several times as a kid. And both my children have several other friends they can lean on. But it’ll be the first time they’ve made goodbyes like this and I know it won’t be the last.