I didn’t realize I was that mom at the playground. That mom who always smiles at the other moms even if she doesn’t know them. That mom who often makes small talk while she pushes her toddler on the swings. That mom who strikes up a conversation while sitting on the bench watching her older kid play.

That mom who can often tell whether you are interested in talking to her or not. And if you don’t seem interested, that’s okay. Because maybe you’re preoccupied with other things going on in your life right now. Maybe you’re overwhelmed with the kids. Maybe you’re having a bad day. Or maybe you just don’t feel like talking.

You may wonder, why is that mom so chatty? You think perhaps that mom is just a friendly person. Or, perhaps her phone battery died, and she has nothing else to do while she waits for her kids to finish playing. Or perhaps, she is waiting for another mom who is supposed to meet her at the park so their kids can have a playdate, and she’s just biding time with you until then.

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Or . . . perhaps, that mom is lonely. Perhaps that mom just moved into the neighborhood and doesn’t know anyone in the area. Perhaps that mom doesn’t live in the same city as any of her close friends and feels isolated. Perhaps that mom doesn’t have a “mom squad” to call her own and really wants one. Perhaps that mom just wants to connect with another like-minded woman.

So, why not be open and just talk? Of course, sometimes things don’t work out. Sometimes that mom and you just may not click. You may not have much in common. The conversation is awkward. Or perhaps your kids just don’t connect as you had hoped. But what if you, that mom, and the kids, do all click? And your husbands happen to click too?

You know it’s at that moment that you’ve won the mom lottery. Not only have you just discovered that mom you can now meet with at the playground, but you also have that mom you can call to set up playdates. You have another couple you can add to your game night, or a family you can see yourself inviting over for dinner or going on vacation with. And as you get to know each other more and more, you may realize that mom is also a lifelong confidante.

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I was fortunate enough to have met a wonderful mom at the playground a few years ago. Within minutes of talking with her, I knew I had met someone whose company I enjoyed; the conversation was effortless. The best part was that our kids enjoyed playing with each other, and our husbands got along well too. Everything just clicked. A beautiful friendship has blossomed out of that chance meeting for which I am so grateful. Had I not initiated a conversation about which brood was hers while sitting on that bench with her, I would have missed out on getting to know someone I would have never met otherwise had our paths not crossed that sunny afternoon.

So, the next time you are at the playground and that mom tries to talk to you, be open. You never know what may come of it. It may lead to a friendship with someone who is meant to enter your life at exactly the moment you choose to ask, “So, which kid(s) are yours?”