I went out to dinner with my mom when she got off from work tonight. After working 14 hour days for the last few I was ready to leave the house and face the cold comfort of fresh November air.

So we went to a Noodles & Co. by her house. And since all the booths were taken we were sort of in the middle of the restaurant. And after awhile a few booths opened up, and a group of giggly, cute high school girls took one in the corner.

A bit later a stream of about six of their friends came bursting in the door, yelling and giggling, clearly excited about something that had happened to one of them. So they all clustered around the booth and started gabbing a mile a minute.

And I couldn’t help but notice that as soon as they streamed in a table next to us got up and moved further away.

Which wouldn’t have made me think twice, really, but I saw it was a high school girl and her mom. And just by the way the girl kept looking kind of sadly at the table of gigglers, you could tell she knew them. And they didn’t know her. Or didn’t care to.

My heart just broke. I remember those days. Hanging out on many a Friday night, not with a bunch of high school chums, but with a bunch of my parents’ friends. Who were great company and I had a blast, but in the back of your mind you can’t forget the fact that you don’t have high school friends to hang out with.

It does get better.