Dear C,
As your youngest cherub's year of pre-school at the local Village Elementary draws to a close, I wonder if you have had the fortune to become acquainted with Socially Ambitious Mom, the woman who never ceases to glance over your shoulder to find someone better to talk to? Over the course of our seven years together at said school, I have become used to her ditching me mid-sentence to schmooze with Alpha Mom or Dad with the Biggest Portfolio. I have endured awkward moments in the hallways, after my cheery Hellos and Goodbyes are met with a blank stare - or at best an inquiry to remind her, yet again, of my name. And I have stepped aside - literally - as she made a beeline for Teacher during the course of school field trips, presumably in the hopes by shining the apple herself, she would be nudging her child's scores up a grade or two (not that their child would need this, of course, being naturally a gifted, straight A student from the moment they took the Apgars).
But then something changed. My twins slowly inched their way up the social totem pole in their own right, and lo and behold, Socially Ambitious Mom became friendly. Suddenly, there were invitations to birthday parties, Sky boxes and exclusive book clubs. Thankfully, however, just as I was about to ditch you forever, dear C, and declare SAM my new BFF, she withdrew an invitation to a dinner party she was hosting as an early celebration for MY FORTIETH BIRTHDAY in favor of attending the recent Washington National Opera Ball with Billionaire Dad (aka, the dick with the good fortune to sell his company just before the credit crash) and his Long-Suffering Mate.
It's good to know that a cougar never really changes her spots.
P.
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