One mother was spotted pushing a stroller in her neighborhood. Another stood out at a meeting. And more than one woman was introduced by a mutual friend.

They could’ve been reliving how they met their spouses. But the ladies I was talking to were discussing how they met mothers with kids the same age as theirs.

These all-important (to your sanity) friends literally are what keeps you from running away from home sometimes. They are the ones who talk you through the sleep-training, get you through the bouts of flu and summer boredom, laugh at the embarrassing things your 3-year-old tells your mother-in-law.

Another mom who knows what you’re going through is worth her weight in gold. It’s no wonder we’re a little sentimental about how we met our playgroup pals.

“Remember the first time I came to your house?” one mom asked, recalling a mess her son her made.

“I was so happy to meet someone with a baby,” another mom confessed.

How we meet other moms is sometimes similar to how we met our mates, from chance encounters to actual fix-ups. I’ve heard of moms meeting at coffee joints, playgrounds, in the children’s sections of stores. Others find their matches in more organized settings such as mommy-and-me classes and mothers’ clubs.

For some of us, it’s love at first sight and we quickly connect. Others of us are shy at first and a little hesitant to make the first move. I’ve even known a few moms who thought they didn’t like another mom on the playground only to realize later how much they have in common.

It sounds like dating, doesn’t it?