Blog Your Blessings: All That Caring Going On

IMG 6069

Early this morning as I was heading out on a quick mission to pick up my handbag from the house where I had left it last night after three-plus hours of a tedious meeting, I found myself slowed to a near-stop over and over again by parents, kids, and school buses.

Not good. But there it was and I couldn't change it, so I learned to love it.

First: stuck behind a neighbor and her father as she student-drove the family's Mazda sedan as if it were a basket of eggs. If we had gone any slower, we would have been rolling backwards, so I had ample time to consider them in the front seat: the young girl handling the car with text-book correctness and her father slouched in passenger seat. Yes: slouched. How cool is that?

Next: no fewer than three school buses scooping up near catatonic high schoolers before the sun had even slipped above the ridge line. We moved from driveway to driveway for all of these up and coming adults. Surely they must feel safe, valued, cared for. What other message can be derived from this curbside service? How good, even if they don't get it, that we treat them so well.

And then: the dads putting their littlest of the little students of Woodbury on the bus. Those last hugs, waves, cranings of the neck to see that the kids were safe, the thumbs up when they were on their way--and the lingering last look before these men returned to their houses to get ready for work.

Finally: the most excellent of bus drivers who waved me on after my good, healthy dose of waiting and watching so that I could get home again to my own good girl and get her ready for school.

Ironically, I would take her in myself because the bus takes so darn long to get up the hill. Is it any wonder, with all that caring going on?

Post a Comment

32 Comments

  1. Sandy what a nice story. You have a perfect photo for it. Hope you have a wonderful weekend.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Wow. We never got at-your-door service when I was riding the bus to school! Were we less cared-for? I don't think we were... Then again, maybe by the bus drivers we were. School bus drivers in those days were high school kids who took the class and passed the test. They could manage the vehicle, knew the rules of driving one, but looking back on it now I wonder what we were thinking.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Lovely sunrise photo. It is good to patient. You are a good person.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Enjoyed spending a slow morning with you and experiencing your paradigm shift-just learned more about that word. As you took the time to look through appreciative eyes at all that was before you rather than just being irritated. We all need to do that more often.

    ReplyDelete
  5. I live in LA where people drive like mad men so reading your post
    I couldn’t stop smiling.
    What a quaint idyllic place :)

    ReplyDelete
  6. I'm glad I never took the bus to school.

    ReplyDelete
  7. I love the way the clouds present a 3D image and the brillance of the sunlight coming thru the trees. The door to door thing sure has me baffled i remember it was about every 1000 feet or so if not more that the bus stopped, times change i guess

    ReplyDelete
  8. Oh so sweet, so sweet and delightful to read. Thank you.

    ReplyDelete
  9. I agree with Lin... I enjoyed every aspect of this story and the photo is a WOW! But, the best part of it for me is your attitude while waiting for the bus to pick up each student, and each parent to lovingly send their children off for the day. Great example for all of us!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Sandy, you are always positive, in every occasion: this is really a good quality.

    ReplyDelete
  11. hi, nice blog sandy
    Your Blog is More interesting.great work.
    ...if possible at ur free time visit mine..and give ur suggestion to improve..
    i am very happy to add you in my blogroll as friends if u like..!!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Anonymous9:20 AM

    You make the best of it in the best kind of way. I love to see those early morning signs of life and witness the things that we all have in common. The photo looks like one I could have taken here.

    I would sign with a heart if there was one on my keyboard.

    ReplyDelete
  13. I feel the love and caring, Sandy! :)

    ReplyDelete
  14. Those are the reasons I don't want to be in traffic early in the morning. :) But you got treated to a beautiful sunrise!

    ReplyDelete
  15. Anonymous9:47 AM

    Sandy, this is such a dear and sweet post. I love it. I love the fact that perhaps even in your initial irritation, you found lessons so simple and so beautiful. Is it any wonder, with all this caring going all. How wonderful is that!

    Have a wonderful Valentine's Day today! And, thanks my dear friend, for making this world a little brighter and a little friendlier to live in. You are a blessing!

    ReplyDelete
  16. happy valentine's day sandy!

    ReplyDelete
  17. Ah, such a lovely feel-good post. I enjoyed every word as I slouched in front of my computer. ;<)

    Happy Valentine's Sandy, Hugs, G

    ReplyDelete
  18. Anonymous1:40 PM

    I like thinking about all the "caring" going on-and I'm glad you noticed it. I should be more patient and take a look around at my surroundings when I'm held up.

    ReplyDelete
  19. Enjoy reading your post today. Thanks for all the love and caring. You're a caring person and it refelcts on your blog and how you care for your viewers and blogmates. Have a sweet Valentine's Day.

    ReplyDelete
  20. Very nice, the picture of daily life in America, different from what we see in the tv soaps but so much sweeter! 80% of our tv soaps and the movies we see are American but you never see a school bus. I remember the first time I was in America, I was surprised the people looked so different off the tv screen... shorter, stubbier, friendlier and much, much less sarcastic.

    ReplyDelete
  21. I love all the stories you were able to pick out of the slow traffic.

    Happy Valentine's Day!

    ReplyDelete
  22. Nice to read this Sandy,
    I love the positive spirit your writings hold..:)

    wishes,
    devika

    ReplyDelete
  23. Love the line "if we were going and slower we would be rolling backwards" LOL has me laughing so hard I have tears in my eyes. I gotta go to be. Have a great rest of the weekend.

    ReplyDelete
  24. I like your perspective on life.

    ReplyDelete
  25. Sandy: This post is a true gem. Thank you, Aloha-
    "Not good. But there it was and I couldn't change it, so I learned to love it."

    Ah if I'd only learned this sooner!
    But then i wouldn;t be me, or be so grateful today . . . .

    ReplyDelete
  26. I have to admit, seeing caring in a school-side traffic jam is impressive... but as someone who walked his little one to school for several years, I do wish some of the drivers 'round here were more "caring" and less neurotic, angry, stressed, "Have-to-get-to-work" type that realised we were all taking our kids in...

    ...oh, and don't get me started by the not one, but three parents who drive their kids to school in nice SUVs... that live less than four blocks away... and I saw all three pack up the SUV, drive away, saw them at the school, passed the parked SUV back in the driveway on my way home... Grrr...

    Still, you are right... I'd say 1/2 of those I saw here were indeed there because they genuinely cared a lot... and wanted that one last hug before the day got underway.

    ReplyDelete
  27. Anonymous9:07 AM

    Patience is a virtue :) Hope you have a lovely week ahead :)

    ReplyDelete
  28. It is good to think of people driving slowly in these times. Mostly, these days, everyone is in a rush to get somewhere.

    But, I must also salute you, to keep your patience in the slow moving traffic!

    Have a great week ahead!

    ReplyDelete
  29. Anonymous7:52 PM

    Great observations, Sandy. I felt like I was in your car with you, crawling along behind the bus. God bless you.

    ReplyDelete
  30. You always have a great story to share! Happy Belated Valentine's Day!

    ReplyDelete
  31. Interesting observations! Isn't it something how if we jsut ponder we can find a blessing in almost everything!

    ReplyDelete
  32. What a great post!!! It makes me want to take my time and soak in everything. Thanks for the blessing!

    ReplyDelete

Thanks for being here.