MWM--
I have not read all the responses, so forgive me if I am repetitive here....
First and foremost, I am glad to hear that nothing tragic happened. When I read the title of your thread, I mistakenly assumed that your daughter's friend had been "lost" in an accident or something. So I am glad that everyone is OK.
Second, I remember a man that I worked with had a daughter a lot like yours, and he was very concerned because she had developed such strong attachments to a small circle of girls, and since he knew how fickle female friendships are at that age--he feared that his overly-sensitive child would be eventually hurt.
So, this man embarked on a strategy of getting his daughter involved in all kinds of activities where he knew she would be with an entirely different group of kids for each one. He enrolled her in a sport, a mock-jury team, and a summer camp some distance from their home. His aughter was reluctant to try any of these activities, because she wanted to be with her friends--but he prevailed.
By the end of the summer, his daughter had several new groups of friends and had learned to look forward to meeting new people. I remember thinking very highly of what a wise father he was.
Perhaps you could try a similar strategy...?
Just my two cents.
--DaisyF
